Careful Where You Stand
by brucasfanatic
Summary: Drabbles of BL had Peyton confessed her feelings. AU after episode 1x09. Entry 17: Drunk and desperate, he uses one to make the other jealous.
1. Confession

**Disclaimer: **Why are these things necessary? It's obvious that Mark Schwan owns the show. Does anyone really think that he sits there and spends his time writing fan fiction? And is anyone really so dense as to think he'd be writing a **_BL_** fic? lols at your crazyness.

**Summary: **Drabbles of S1 BL. Peyton confesses to Brooke her feelings for Lucas before BL get together. Takes place during and after episode 1x10.

**A/N**: Just some drabbles that wouldn't leave me. Honestly, it's been done before. Sooooooooooooooooo much. But, eh. It was in my head, and I have to write what's in my head. some of the chapters have no real significance to anything. They're just...scenes that I imagined happening. It's actually my least favourite fic that I've worked on, but it's the only thing running through my mind right now.

Enjoy.

* * *

Peyton walks into the Davis household, slamming the door and throwing her back pack on the ground like she owned the place. She walks into the kitchen in search of something to eat.

"Brooke!" she calls out, pulling out a soda from the fully stocked fridge. She looks up when she gets no answer. Her eyes land on a pair of jimmy choos thrown half-hazardly at the foot of the door, confirming that her friend is indeed in the house.

"Brooke?" she calls again, making her way up the impossibly long stairway and to the end of the hall, towards her best friend's room.

"Brookie?" She opens the door and her mouth drops at what she sees.

There, sitting in the middle of the bed, was her best friend...._reading a book_.

"Um, what are you doing?"

Brooke glances up at her friend before returning her attention to the novel in her hand.

"Reading." She says in a matter of fact tone.

"Yes, okay, stupid question." She takes a deep breath and starts again. "_Why _are you reading?"

Brooke pouts. "Why are you so shocked? I do read, you know."

"Yes, I know. But, you read....Cosmo. And that God awful People's crap. You don't read..." She squints and reads the title. "Steinbeck?" She asks, more than states. She looks at her friend with wide eyes.

"Okay, who are you and what have you done with my friend Brooke Davis?"

The brunette rolls her eyes and sticks her tongue out. "I'll have you know that I'm quite enjoying this book."

"You're scaring me even more now."

Brooke giggles. "Okay, okay. What if I told you that I'm enjoying the thoughts of what will happen _after _I read the book?"

Peyton nods and makes her way over the bed.

"Who's the guy?"

"You know me too well, P. Sawyer." She giggles and sinks into the bed to be at level with her best friend. "Lucas."

The blonde goes rigid in her place. Brooke continues on, oblivious to the discomfort of her friend.

"He told me that Steinbeck was his favourite author while we were taking care of you. And this morning at school he sought me out and gave me the book to read." She smiles brightly at the memory. "I made him a deal that if I read it he'd have to make it up to me."

She turns her head to the side and kinks her eyebrows. "You know how I like my boys to pay up." She winks at her friend and looks back up to the ceiling.

Peyton stays in her place and stares at her friend with a pained expression. She knew Brooke and Lucas had gotten closer ever since the night that they took care of her, and although she understands that they're nothing more than friends she knows that Brooke will be expecting something much more physical than Lucas--or even she herself--could handle.

"Um, Brooke?" She stars hesitantly, turning to her side so she's completely facing her childhood sidekick.

"Hmm?" Brooke doesn't look away from the book, which she's still shocked has been able to keep her interested for this long.

Peyton takes her time to think of the best way to approach the subject. "Remember how you asked me if I had feelings for Lucas?"

This time, it was the brunette who went rigid. Closing her eyes, she takes a deep breath before closing the book and turning to face the blonde next to her.

"What about it?" She tries not to sound too nervous.

"I....I think I do." Brooke continues to stare at her, but doesn't react. "Have feelings, I mean."

She can see Brooke grit her teeth, but nothing else changes on her face.

"You think you do?" She asks, and Peyton is amazed that she could stay so calm.

"No, I--" she takes a deep breath. "I know I have feelings for him. I've had them for a long time, now."

Suddenly, Brooke scowls at her. Turning away from the shocked blonde, the brunette cheerleader rolls off the bed and starts to pace the room.

"You sure about that Peyton? Because I distinctly remember you telling me on _multiple _occasions that you had no feelings for him what so ever. Wasn't it you who pushed him away because he wanted an actual relationship when you weren't interested?"

She'd taken her friend's confession of the night of the party as proof that she was in no way interested in pursuing Lucas Scott. Brooke had hoped that the event would have made Lucas get over her best friend, and hopefully notice her and treat her with the same care as she'd seen him give to Peyton and TutorGirl.

"Yeah, I know I said that." She pushes herself up and sits on the bed, worry evident in her eyes as she watches her friend angrily pace the room. She didn't expect Brooke to react like this. Lucas was just another conquest for her. She shouldn't be this angry.

"But, I didn't mean it. I...I just freaked out, you know? I didn't know if I was ready for a relationship."

"But now you do?" Brooke scoffs. Peyton picked a hell of a time to realize her 'true feelings.'

"I...I guess I always knew. Look, Brooke, I'm sorry I'm ruining your plans, but I really have feelings for this guy."

Brooke bites her tongue to keep herself from snapping at the blonde. What? Did she think Lucas was just a game to _her_?

"Why didn't you tell me before?"

The blonde shrugs. "I was scared."

"Scared of what? Of me?"

"Of course not! Of Lucas, and the way he makes me feel! I mean, I feel so safe around him, you know? Like he takes one look at me and he sees the real me." She snorts. "God, how clichéd do I sound?"

Brooke doesn't say anything. She knows the feelings Peyton was talking about. She felt the same way whenever he looked at her too. Or at least, it's what she found herself hoping for. She still isn't sure if Lucas actually saw her for who she really is, but she knows that if anyone is going to be able to, it would be him.

She locks eyes with her Peyton, a feeling of jealousy bubbling in the pit of her stomach. She knows that Lucas _already _sees Peyton. The blonde is one step ahead of her. As usual.

"Then why are you scared?"

"Because...because he's so perfect right now, and he's so sweet and...what if he turns out to be like Nathan? Or like my dad? What if he leaves just like everyone else?"

Brooke sighs, and puts two comforting hands on her childhood friend. Silently, she curses Nathan for hurting her so much. "P. Sawyer, not everyone is like Nathan."

"I know that, but...Nathan started out just like him. He was all sweet and caring, you know?"

Brooke looks at her. Actually, no, she doesn't. She has no idea.

"And look how he turned out." Peyton continues, oblivious to her friend's internal turmoil. "I can't go through that again, Brooke."

The brunette sighs and hugs her. She pushes down whatever feelings of jealousy and hurt she feels and forces herself to accept the fact that whatever she had with Lucas was over. Whatever hopes she held for an actual relationship with him are now gone. She knows he's still into Peyton and now that her friend finally fessed up her own feelings...Brooke should have known better than to hope.

"Peyton, the guy has been crushing on you since, like, the 8th grade. He's been following you around like a lost puppy for three years now, and he hasn't gone anywhere. And you haven't even thrown him a bone yet. You think he's going to leave you once he finally has you?"

Green eyes meet a pair of hazel, and the blonde nods. "Yeah, I guess." She says defeated. Brooke knows that she's just trying to hide her uncertainty.

"Look, you're like, totally into this whole dating thing. So why don't you just give this a chance? I mean, it's how it goes, right? You try it out, if it doesn't work, you pout and eat ice cream then move on, right?"

Peyton gives her a look. "You're argument would be more persuasivee if _you _took it seriously, Brooke."

The brunette shrugs. "Nah, that stuff's always sounded too boring for me." She says pointedly, and misses Peyton rolling her eyes.

"I thought you said you wanted to try out the whole stable boyfriend thing."

Brooke takes her time to answer. She'd been telling the truth when she confessed her hopes to Peyton that day at the spa. But now that Lucas was definitely out of the picture....she suddenly doesn't see the idea as appealing as before.

"Well, maybe I'm just waiting for my creepy stalker guy to come along and drool over me?" She says mockingly. Peyton laughs and hits her with a pillow.

"I'm serious, Peyton. Lucas isn't like other guys. He's innocent, and sweet and wants romance and emotional connection." Peyton looks at her friend, unconsciously frowning as she watches her hazel eyes sparkle as she talks about the blonde boy. "He seems to be willing to do anything for you. And you owe him a chance to show you how much he can love you." A small, sad smile forms on her face.

"He's worth it, you know?"


	2. Third Eye Blind

**Disclaimer: **Mark Schwan owns One Tree Hill. I am not Mark Schwan. And I forgot to mention, that the title of this fic is the title of one of Coldplay's fantastic tracks. Check it out.

**Summary: **Drabbles of S1 BL. Lucas is smitten over his new girlfriend.

**A/N**: This one is pretty short. You're all gonna **_hate _**me for it. But, I'm trying to establish the psychology of a crushed out idiot.

Enjoy...or at least, leave a review.

* * *

Lucas can't remember the last time he was this happy.

He finally had her: the girl of his dreams, the soul mate he's read about in all those historical novels of knighthood and bravery. Her hair was as bright as the sunshine, cascading in spirals along her porcelain face. Her legs seem to extend forever and her skinny jeans and Zepplin t-shirt perfectly outline her skinny frame.

She'd come to him two nights ago. She showed up at his bedroom door and announced her feelings for him and told him that even though she was scared, she was willing to take the risk. Because he was worth it.

Lucas smiles. He _is_ worth it.

He sees her standing in the middle of the court yard, talking to a couple of cheerleaders who he doesn't think she belongs with. He imagines her as the type who would be discussing art, and poetry, and music; topics that held depth and and meaning, of which the likes of Bevin McRay and Theresa Ramirez could never hope to understand.

He walks up to her and puts his arms around her waist, ignoring the looks he imagines the two cheerleaders give him before they scurry away.

"Hey." he says quietly, still nervous to be talking to _the _Peyton Sawyer.

She turns to him and a small smile appears on her face. "Hey back." She looks off to the side before reaching up and and kissing him briefly.

Lucas smiles into the kiss. Already his dreams were coming to life, absolutely nothing can go wrong. His life is about to change.

She pulls back from his embrace and he squints in confusion.

"I'm not really into the whole PDA thing, you know?"

Lucas nods, feeling slightly dejected. Still, he smiles and accepts the hand she offers him, happy that she is willing to show this bit of affection in public.

He decides not to take it personally. He doesn't really remember seeing Peyton engage in PDA while with Nathan, either. It's just part of her character; she doesn't like to show herself too much to the world.

He smiles again, walking hand in hand with the girl he's been crushing on since junior high. The same girl who is a mystery to the world but is willing to open up to _him_.

Because he's worth it.

* * *

Would anyone like to Beta?

**-brucasfanatic**


	3. Salute Your Solution

**Disclaimer: **Not mine. Never have been, never will be.

* * *

"If you…had a friend. And she was…doing something that was _not_ good for her. What would you do?"

Lucas turns from his locker and turns to the brunette who doesn't seem to recognize that she's invading his personal space. He looks around the hall way for any sign of his girlfriend, or something that could help him deal with the insistent Cheer Captain. He's been going out with Peyton for over two weeks now, and ever since they got together he's had to learn to deal with the constant presence of the brunette. He doesn't understand why he's had so much trouble tolerating her lately. He started liking her well enough after the night they rescued Peyton from the party. That night they'd talked and she seemed human; he began to think that they could form a real friendship over time, as crazy as the notion sounded. But ever since he and Peyton started going out, she's been acting the way she always had before, reminding him why the idea was so insane to begin with. And for some reason, he can't bring himself to forgive her for throwing the book he gave her in his face last week, arrogantly declaring that it was a piece of junk and that she had too much of a life to waste her time on it.

"Well?" Her hands rest on her hips, and she's tapping her foot expectantly. Lucas takes a step back to put some distance between them, but squashes down the urge to flee.

"Um…what?"

She glares at him. "You heard me." She says pointedly.

Lucas looks around for an escape, really not interested in playing her games at the moment. Seeing no one that could help him, he sighs and decides to just give her what she wants and get it over with.

"Is this about Peyton?"

"No."

He shoves his hands in his pocket and sighs.

"What type of something?"

She's silent for a moment, glancing around her to make sure no one is within earshot.

"Drugs."

He gawks at her. "You're doing _drugs?!"_

Brooke frowns at him. "I never said it was me."

"Well, I just thought—"

"Ugh! Just never mind!" She walks off in a huff. Lucas watching her, once again left confused (and irritated) by the fierce brunette.

Shaking his head, he makes a mental note to tell Peyton that her best friend was hurting herself. He sighs, knowing that it'll just worry his girlfriend who already had enough to deal with on her own. She didn't need Brooke's carelessness to add to her life's drama.

He knew that the girls were close, but sometimes he wonders how someone as deep and sweet as Peyton could be best friends with a person as cold and shallow as Brooke.

~*~

Lucas steps out of the shower and wraps the towel around his naked body. He decided to stay in after school to work on his technique, feeling nervous about the upcoming game against the Greenborough Gators scheduled for next week. He changes into his clothes and gathers his stuff, walking out of the boys change room, happy to be finally heading home. As soon as he opens the gym doors, however, he hears a pair of voices whispering furiously. Looking in, he notices Brooke lecturing another brunette that he recognized as one of the members of the Cheer Leading team.

"If you don't cut this out, I swear, Cedes, I will cut you from the Squad!"

Mercedes' eyes widen. "No! Brooke you can't, please!"

The captain sighs. "Then will you stop?" She asks, practically begging. The girl nods vigorously.

"I'm keeping these." She says, shaking a bottle of pills that Lucas hadn't noticed before.

Mercedes eyes the pills longly before hesitantly nodding her head, walking off.

After watching her leave the gym, Brooke sighs and collapses on the bench, her head in her hands. Lucas walks up to her hesitantly.

"Hey."

Auburn strands whip up as she looks at him, eyes shocked.

"What the hell are you doing here?!"

"Uhh…late practice."

She glances to the door nervously, hoping her friend wouldn't come back.

"How long have you…?"

"I saw Mercedes."

Her hazel eyes widen before they narrow into slits.

"You know, I get that Peyton found your stalking thing all romantic and all, but I just find it creepy as hell."

Lucas purses his lips and counts to five in his head, coaching himself to remain calm and not snap at the difficult girl in front of him. After calming himself down, he sits next to her on the bench.

"So you were serious?"

Brooke scoffs. "No, Lucas. I like to make this stuff up _just _to see how you'll react."

Rolling his eyes, he resigns himself to the reality that he'll probably have to deal with her sarcastic bitching for the entire conversation.

"How long has it been going on?"

"How is that any of your business?"

He shrugs. "You came to me."

She's silent for a moment, weighing the options in her head of whether or not she could trust him.

"About a month." She finally says and groans as she rests her head against bear thighs, hair falling around creamy legs.

"You okay?" He asks, genuinely concerned. He could tell that the situation had really taken its toll on her.

"I'm fine."

"You don't seem fine."

"You read way too much into stuff."

"Brooke--"

"I thought I got it under control, you know?" She starts suddenly and she looks up at him with tired eyes. "I mean, I caught her popping one when I followed her one day cause she was absolutely HORRIBLE at practice and I wanted to bitch her out for it. And I tried to get her to stop but she won't listen to me."

Lucas nods slowly, feeling bad for not letting her explain when she came to him ealier. He reaches out to put a calming hand on her shoulder, but stops just short of touching her. He doesn't understand his hesitation, but something told him not to touch her.

"Do you know what made her start?" He asks tentatively.

Brooke glances at him. "I'm _not _telling you that."

Lucas nods slightly, not at all surprised. He hadn't expected Brooke to be too open with him; he knew that she could keep a secret...when she wanted to.

"I think you should tell someone."

She looks up at him, eyes calculating.

"Her parents...or something."

She shakes her head. "I-I-I can't. I promised her I wouldn't."

"Brooke, you can't keep something like this a secret. You even said you've tried to stop her and she wouldn't listen."

"But I _promised her_, Lucas." She looks at him with pleading eyes, and he allows himself to appreciate how fiercely she sticks by her word.

"Brooke, sometimes...sometimes you have to break a promise, for the good of the person. Even if you think that telling the secret will make them angry, sometimes the best way to be a friend is to just tell the truth."

She sighs. "If I betray her like this—"

"It's not a betrayal. It's for her own good."

"She won't see it that way." She looks down at her fingers, playing with the pills in her hands. "I'm the cheer captain, and I absolutely love it. I mean, it's the only thing that I'm actually good at...well, besides sex." He frowns for a second, wanting to convince her otherwise before he realizes that he couldn't think of anything to refute her statement.

"But in order to be Captain, I also have to take care of my girls. And that means that I have to keep secrets for them. If they don't trust me then I won't be able to do that. And then we'll lose the championship and—"

He frowns. "So this is just about the championship?"

Brooke is silent. She didn't mean it to be. She never consciously made the connection between the situation and the competition. But she wanted so _much _to win this year; it would be a lie to say that it wasn't at the back of her mind all the time.

"I—"

"Jesus, Brooke! What's more important? Mercedes' health or the damned competition?!" He asks, disgust evident in his tone._ How is Peyton friends with this girl?!_

She sighs and looks away. "I didn't mean it like that." She finally says and he calms down, figuring that criticizing her would be counterproductive in this situation.

"Look, I appreciate that you take your duties as a captain seriously. But addiction is way bigger than you can handle, Brooke. And this is dangerous stuff. It could really hurt her."

After a moment of silence while she thinks it over, the brunette nods absentmindedly. She takes a deep breath and stands up, walking to the trash can and throwing the pills out.

"You're right." She looks back at him and smiles.

"What're you going to do?"

"I'll have to talk to her mother. She's closer to her than she is her father."

Lucas nods.

Brooke turns to leave the gym but stops suddenly. Lucas watches her stand in her spot for several moments before turning to him.

"Thank you, Broody. I knew you'd help."

He smiles softly, a little shocked at the confidence he could hear in her words.

"Could I just ask...why did you come to me?" Echoing the same question he'd asked less than a month ago. _Cause I knew you'd come through._ It doesn't escape him that this is the second time she willingly sought out his help, and he has no idea what to make of it.

She shrugs. "I already told you."

His smile brightens.


	4. Fluorescent Adolescent

**Disclaimer** - If I owned OTH, **[insert every BL lover's disclaimer here]**. The song title is by the Arctic Monkeys.

**Summary: **Lucas catches Brooke working her charm.

Thanks for the reviews! For those of you who know me, I am a review whore in every sense of the word...whatever that implies. Enjoy and hit that link at the bottom where the much more attractive green button used to be!

* * *

"I've been walking around all morning looking for someone to save me from the boredom that is science class."

Eric James turns around at the raspy voice to find himself being pushed forcefully against his locker by none other than _the_ Brooke Davis.

"Looks like my prayers were answered." She says in a low, seductive voice. She glides her perfectly manicured fingers down his heaving chest, feeling the muscles harden as he reacts to her advances. "In you."

"Um—h-hi, Brooke." He kicks himself mentally for sounding like an idiot virgin. His breath hitches as she moves closer to him, arching her back so that her body is pressed firmly against his.

"Well, goody. You know my name. At least that gets awkward introductions out of the way so we can get to the..." she glances down before meeting his eyes. "good stuff."

Eric's lips twitch in anticipation, before a tiny frown emerges on his face.

"Of course I know your name, Brooke. We slept together just last week."

Brooke blinks up at him, absolutely no sign of recognition on her face. She notes his frown deepening, and realizes that he probably feels offended at the implication that he was.._._forgettable_._

"Oh yeah," She starts, unconvincingly. "Now I remember." The frown remains, so she gives him a suggestive look. "I say we get reacquainted," She tilts her head to the side. "What about you?"

Eric licks his lips subconsciously, and Brooke knows she's going to get the escape she's looking for.

But before either of them could suggest an appropriate place to engage in their activities, Brooke feels a tap on her shoulder and hears someone fake cough behind her.

Her eyes narrow into slits, and she whips around towards the intruder, ready to rip into them.

"Can't you see that we're bus—Lucas!" Her eyes widen in shock and she steps away from Eric. Looking up at him, she can't help but note the strange look in his eyes. Is it disappointment or...disgust? Either way, it made her uncomfortable. She grits her teeth and tries to keep herself from blushing in embarrassment. Usually, she didn't care what people thought of her escapades. So she's a slut, so what? But for some reason, she didn't want Lucas to think of her that way.

"Can I talk to you for a second?" He says quietly. Before she could answer, Eric steps up from behind her and shoves Lucas away.

"Watch it, dick head. Can't you see _we _were talking before?"

Lucas frowns. "Relax, man. I don't want to sleep with her." He doesn't notice the devastated expression that forms on Brooke's face, and by the time he looks back at her, she'd already hidden it behind a mask of indifference.

"Come on." He motions for her to follow, and they walk a few feet away from Eric, who stands in his spot glaring at them. Once they were a safe distance away, Lucas bends over slightly so they could talk in quiet whispers. "I just wanted to know how things went with Mercedes."

Standing in front of him, Brooke wraps her arms around herself subconsciously. Her face is hardened as she looks up at him, and he thinks it looks rather condescending; reminding him that he was an outsider and that she couldn't be seen talking to him.

He didn't know she was just trying to keep her emotions in check.

"It went good."

Lucas gives her an incredulous look, expecting more.

"Good? What did her mother say?"

She bites her tongue, wanting to give him another stand offish answer to turn him away. But the concerned expression in his eyes reminds her that he was genuinely invested in the situation. For some reason, it makes her want to cry even more.

Sighing to herself, she drops her arms and looks off to the side.

"It was...colourful."

Lucas raises his eyes. "It didn't go over so well?"

She huffs in frustration, mentally calculating how much she should tell him. "Her mom had an 'intervention', and well—they're getting her help."

Lucas releases a breath, and smiles. "That's good."

"Yeah. Only, now she's _really_ mad at me."

He has the sense to look sympathetic. "I'm sorry, Brooke. But you did the right thing."

She catches his eyes and sees the gentleness in them that she'd first noticed when he joined the basketball team and bulldozed into her life. His eyes held a reassurance in them that she's never before seen in her life, and it was a feeling that she didn't know she'd craved until she first noticed him. She wants to ask him if he was _sure_. If the loss of trust amongst the cheer squad and with Mercede's in particular _was_ a good thing. Instead, she purses her lips and nods.

"Okay, well," He glances towards Eric nervously and she can see the first hint of colour appear on his cheeks. The disappointed look is back again. _Or is it disgust?_ "I just wanted to make sure everything was okay..." He trails off, trying to think of how to end the conversation without hinting towards what he obviously interrupted.

"I—I've got class, so..." He motions aimlessly behind him, averting his eyes before walking away quickly.

Brooke watches him scurry from her, too embarrassed to even look at her. She knows it's because of his innocent nature, but she still hated herself for breaking at his words. It's not that she hoped he would sleep with her—he's Peyton's now; according to the universal girl code he was off limits now and forever. It was the realization that he wasn't even _interested_ in her in _any_ way. She understands that she doesn't have much in the personality department. She never expected anyone, let alone someone as deep and thoughtful as Lucas to actually be _interested_ in her emotionally. She just didn't have what it took to keep them from getting bored. But the physical field is where she excelled at. She knows she is hot, she's confident in her ability to lure men through sex—something she excelled at almost as much as cheerleading. And yet, Lucas still rejected her. What is it about her that repulsed him so much? Why is it that the good ones were never interested in her at all? If she isn't able to attract them physically, what is she going to do when she really needs to? When she's older and she has to get married? She knows she's going to marry some rich guy and live off his money like her mother, but she'd always hoped she would be able to get someone who would at least _try_ to make her happy.

Eric's hands wrap around her waist tightly, pulling her out of her revere. "So, I know this janitor's closet that has a sturdy table we could use." He whispers in his best seductive voice.

Bile rises in her throat, and suddenly his hands are too harsh; and his cologne is too strong. Why can't she ever get someone who was gentle?

"Not interested." She says simply, walking away from him and ignoring his shouts of insults from across the hall. A teacher steps out of her class room and yells at them to get to class. Brooke ignores her, depression and self-loathing suddenly creeping up in the pit of her stomach.

She needs a drink.


	5. Pretentious

**Disclaimer** - If I owned OTH, **[insert every BL lover's disclaimer here]**. The song title is by the

**Summary: **The golden couple's plan to get their best friends to get to know each other backfires.

Thanks for those who reviewed. :) I know it's slow, but I'm dragging this out a lot, leaving subtle hints for BL here and there. Nothing annoys me more than a bam!I-luv-you storyline. Okay, not true. Peyton annoys me more.

Enjoy.

* * *

The atmosphere surrounding the four teenagers was tense. The kind of tense that you could literally cut with a knife; the kind that made the air around you so heavy that it was hard to breathe properly.

Lucas, Haley, Brooke and Peyton sat around the latter's kitchen table silently as she nervously set up the tower of blocks to start a game of _jingo._

Lucas glanced nervously to his side, where his best friend since kinder-garden sulked miserably in the seat next to him, put off by the presence of one Brooke Davis who sat across from her next to Peyton.

He'd suggested to his girlfriend that she should spend some time with him and Haley, who'd felt left out ever since the two blonds got together. He was happy that they'd already hit it off the night he and Nathan found them driving after a game, but wanted them to be comfortable enough together for what he hoped would be a long and close relationship with his dream crush-turned-girlfriend.

He hadn't expected Peyton to want the same for him and Brooke. He'd always considered her friendship with the sultry brunette to be a part of the facade she'd created for the world. She certainly never said anything to suggest otherwise. He knew they were close, he just didn't understand _why_.

"Have you played this game before, Peyton?" Haley asked as she watched the blond painstakingly pile the blocks.

A snort from the seat next to her echoed across the room before she could answer.

"Is there a problem?" Haley asked tersely, glaring at the brunette who'd been the bane of her existence ever since eighth grade.

"Yeah, we're not twelve."

"Brooke." Peyton warned, sending a look to her best friend who rolled her eyes and crossed her arms on her chest, relenting.

This is exactly why Lucas did not want Peyton to invite her. It's not that he minded hanging out with the bubbly cheerleader but he knew she would only cause trouble for his friend and he really wanted Haley and Peyton to get along. He needed them to. But, Peyton had insisted, giving no heed to his warnings that setting up Haley with Brooke is like setting a lit candle next to a gas leak.

And he'd been right. As soon as Brooke entered the kitchen she'd thrown him a smile that faded as soon as she caught sight of the petite tutor. She'd then proceeded to suggest they go out for a night of drinking, an idea which Haley stated was _repulsive _and _juvenile_, right before offering to play a board game. The incredulous look she got from Brooke alerted her that her hypocrisy did not go unnoticed by the irresponsible cheer captain.

After another few minutes of passive aggressive banter between the two brunettes, Peyton stepped in and decided that it was best for them to compromise. They would play a game for the first few hours and go out for the rest of the night.

And that's how they ended up sitting around the kitchen table waiting to play a game that none of them had played since their preteens. It was the only game Peyton could find in her room that wasn't locked away somewhere in the attic.

"I used to love it as a kid," the blond replied after the tension decreased. Lucas caught Peyton glance at Brooke, who didn't say anything.

"Did you like it, Brooke?"

He saw Haley glare at him from the corner of his eye, but his focus was squarely locked on the auburn haired queen b. who looked surprised that he'd bothered to ask. She glanced towards Haley, and Lucas suspected that she wasn't comfortable revealing any piece of information about herself to his best friend.

"You could say that," was her cryptic response, eliciting a snort from her blond friend.

"What is it?"

"Brooke was obsessed with this game."

Haley sat up in her seat. Lucas squinted in surprise. "Really?"

Brooke shrugged, glancing at Haley again. "Whatever. It was simple, no brain work involved."

Haley shook her head in disgust. _Figures_. Peyton's voice cut through her mental anti-Brooke rant.

"Oh, come on, Davis." She said in frustration. She turned to face Lucas and Haley. "Brookie here loved these games as a kid. We used to play them all the time when we were, like, seven." She turned back to Brooke. "What was your favorite game again? Four in a row or something?"

Brooke giggled. "Connect Four."

"You were awesome at the game, dude."

Brooke shook her head at the memory. "No, you just sucked." Peyton punched her playfully. Brooke stuck her tongue out.

Lucas and Haley blinked back in surprise. Hearing Brooke Davis talk about playing kids games sounded so...._normal_. It didn't fit their conception of the booze crazy brunette at all.

"That was Hales' favorite game," Lucas offered in shock. He caught his best friend's eyes. "Well, besides scrabble."

Brooke groaned at the word, leaning over to place her head on the table surface.

"What?" Asked Haley, still defensive.

"Brooke hated that game."

"You hated it to!"

"Are you kidding?" Haley asked in shock, eyes wide as she gawked at them. "Lucas and I _loved_ that game!"

"Seriously. It was almost as good as Clue."

Brooke's head snapped up. "_That _game was awesome!"

Peyton nodded with a smile, happy that things were moving along. "We could never agree on the words."

"_Pro-V_ is so a word, Sawyer."

"No it's not, Brooke."

"Pro-V?" Haley asked in confusion.

"Yeah. Pantene Pro-V. It's a chemical that they put in your shampoo that makes your hair silky and smooth." Brooke answered matter-of-factly.

"It's a made up word!" Peyton yelled out, whilst Lucas and Haley burst out laughing. They shook their heads in amusement, and as their laughter died down the group found themselves immersed in silence once again. Only this time it wasn't _so _tense.

"You know what game I hated?" Brooke asked suddenly. But she didn't look at Lucas or Haley, her focus was only on her best friend. "Twister."

Peyton's eyes widened in shock. "Shut up. No you didn't, you loved that game!"

Brooke shook her head, a smile playing on her lips. "No I didn't. I was good at it, but I hated it most of the time. The only reason I played it so much was because of Jamie Andrews." She said, wiggling her eyebrows.

"Who's Jamie Andrews?" Lucas asked.

"He was Brooke's crush in the seventh grade." Peyton answered, rolling her eyes at her best friend.

"He loved Twister. And was so good at it too. We were always the last two to fall." She sighed happily, and the other three smirked in amusement.

"I'm sure Broody here knows a thing or two about trying to impress a crush." She suggested slyly."Wasn't that why you watched her on her web cam all that time?"

Lucas blushed furiously and looked away. Haley felt obligated to help him out.

"It got Peyton's attention, didn't it?" She offered, sitting up on her chair and giving a knowing look at the curly head. "She's been into you for a long time. Haven't you, Peyton?" She teased.

"Yeah?" He looked between his girlfriend and best friend hopefully.

Peyton rolled her eyes but didn't say anything. Haley nodded to confirm. "Yupp. She told me the night of the game. The one you and Nathan got disqualified in."

Brooke jumped into the conversation. "I don't remember that." She turned to her best friend in confusion.

"Well, you were drugged on happy pills." Peyton supplied nonchalantly missing the way her best friend's eyes narrowed briefly.

Brooke stared at her a moment before turning back to the table.

"That was almost two months ago," Lucas said, unable to keep the childish bout of happiness out of his tone. "Why didn't you tell me you liked me then?"

"Yeah, Peyton, _why?_" Brooke's angry voice startled Lucas, who watched as his girlfriend shrugged in silence and turned back to piling the blocks. _Why did this take so long?_ She thought bitterly.

"I guess you just weren't good enough for her then, Broody."

Haley frowns. "What is your problem?!"

"My _problem _is that I can't believe we're playing a _kids_ _game_ on a Saturday night."

"You mean you can't believe you're not screwing on a Saturday night."

Peyton chuckles. Brooke scowls at her. She already hates that she was dragged into this whole nerd fest that Peyton's new bestie, _Tutor Girl_ demanded they participate in.

"It's not our fault you're still a virgin, _Tutor Girl_." She spits back. Haley looks taken aback. Sending a hurt look towards Peyton, who looks apologetic, she stands up and walks away from the table. Lucas glares at Brooke, following his best friend.

"Haley, wait!"

He catches up to her a few feet away from Peyton's front porch, grabbing a hold of her forearm to turn her around.

"I can't stand that frigid bitch!" She screamed once she was facing him.

Lucas sighed. "I'm sorry she said that."

"It's not that she said it, it's what she's going to do with it!"

"What can she do with it? I know you're not embarrassed by your virginity. It's your choice, so what?"

"She doesn't know that! Lucas, she already has so much to use against me. My clothes, my brains, my looks-can you imagine what she'll do with this?"

Lucas frowned, worried for his friend. "I won't let her say anything. I'll talk to Peyton."

Haley's gawked at him. "Peyton? Your _girlfriend _is the one who told her! I told her that in confidence and she blabbed her mouth to the gossip queen of tree hill!"

"Hey, don't blame Peyton. It probably just slipped, or something."

She glared at him. "_Lucas_, she's not some perfect little angel that does no wrong!" She flailed her arms while screaming, trying to communicate with her love-struck childhood best friend.

He frowned. "I never said she was perfect."

"Then you agree that she shouldn't have told Brooke!"

"I just don't think she would do something like that."

"And why not? Come on, Luke, she's ignored us almost our entire lives. Ignored you! And she's best friends with that Barbie in there. How can she not be anything like her?"

"She's not." He persisted. Peyton Sawyer was an angel in his mind. Ever since he crushed on her in the middle of third grade, she'd barely said a word to him until this year. But, being his first heavy crush, he couldn't believe anything bad about her.

"She's not the one you should be mad at, Haley."

Rolling her eyes, the short brunette drops her arms in defeat. "Whatever. I'm not going back there."

"Hales, _please_? You're my best friend and I really need you to get along with Peyton."

"I get along with her just fine. It's little miss confessions-of-a-teenage-drama-queen that I have a problem with."

Lucas sighed. "Brooke kind of comes with the package."

She scoffed. "Well then it seems we're at an impasse."

"Look, Brooke's not even that bad--"

"Are you seriously defending her?!"

"No! It's just...I don't know what it is with her. She's always so hot and cold. One day she's a major bitch and the next she's a decent human being and back again! I have no idea what's going on with that girl!"

"When the heck has she ever been a _decent _human being let alone one at all?"

"Haley." Lucas said with a chuckle. He'd seen signs of Brooke in the past three weeks that made him wonder about the bitchy exterior she presented. But those signs were few and far between, and he has to wonder if he's just letting his mind over analyze her out of habit.

Shaking his head, he put his hands on his friend's shoulders and looked her in the eyes. "Look, just—let's go back in there. And if she says anything else I promise we'll go, okay?"

His best friend pouted at him, but caved under his pleading eyes.

"Fine. But don't blame me if I pull her hair out."

~*~

"What the hell was that, Davis?!" Peyton asked harshly.

"I just told the truth, Blondie."

"You promised you wouldn't say anything!"

"Fool you once." She quipped.

"That's it." Peyton slammed her hands on the table. "Why are you being such a bitch?"

She shrugged. "Tradition."

"I'm serious, Brooke. Ever since we got together Lucas has been complaining to me about you finding every excuse to annoy him."

"Well then you're boyfriend's a sissy. No surprise there considering his best friend is a _girl_ and he didn't even think of getting her laid."

"Would you lay off of that?! Not everyone has to be a whore like you!"

"Don't act like you're miss innocent, Sawyer. You slept with Nathan enough times and in as many different ways to rival me for that title."

"What is going on with you?!" The blond asked, genuinely shocked. Sure, her best friend could be more of a bitch than a situation warranted. But Peyton had asked her to give Haley a chance, and she expected Brooke to at least make an effort to do so.

"I can't believe you told her!" She said suddenly.

Peyton frowned in confusion. "What?"

"Her! Haley fucking Tutor Girl James! You told her you liked Lucas all those times you lied to me about it!"

Peyton's eyes widened fractionally, before she regained her composure.

"I didn't actually tell her—"

"Well she certainly thinks you did. And Tutor Girl is a lot of things but she's definitely _not_ stupid."

"Brooke—"

"I just don't understand why you would trust her and not me! I mean, you with your whole tragic cynical girl image who _has oh so much trouble letting people in_ would trust some girl you barely knew over your best friend!"

"I didn't—"

"And then you go off and laugh at her calling me a whore!"

"I wasn't laughing at you," She retorted feebly.

Brooke rolled her eyes but stayed silent, turning her face away to hide the tears that suddenly sprung in her eyes. She hated that Peyton didn't trust her enough to tell her about her feelings for Lucas; she hated that she let herself _develop_ something for him knowing he'd never go for a girl like her; and she hated that stupid Tutor Girl for taking her best friend from her.

"Brookie, look—I'm sorry I lied to you, okay? It's just Haley opened up to me about Nathan and we just talked about Lucas."

"Great. Totally wanted to hear about your _bonding_ moment."

"It wasn't a bonding moment—" She cut herself off and sighed. "Look, I didn't know if I liked him or not, alright? Honest, I was all confused and Haley was just telling me all these nice things about him...I don't know. I just, I was scared."

"You already told me that."

"Well, you believe me, don't you?" Brooke looked at her best friend and saw her pleading eyes. She wanted to believe her, but she'd been feeling the blond pulling away from her for months now. She always suspected it had something to do with Nathan, who'd become exceptionally hard headed the past half a year, but he'd been gone by that point. So why hadn't Peyton finally confessed her feelings?

She took a breath to answer, but they were interrupted by their guests.

"Okay, we're back." Lucas and Haley entered the kitchen, stopping short of the table when they noticed the tension before them.

"What's wrong?" They asked in unison.

Brooke and Peyton glanced at each other before turning back to the table.

"Nothing." They answered together.

Lucas shared a quick look with Haley, before the pair made their way back to their seats, joining in the awkward silence.

"So are we playing this game or what?" Brooke suddenly asked, flipping her hair back and sitting up at the table.

"Uh, I'll start." Lucas decided, pushing out one of the blocks in the center.

They continued to play, Lucas and Peyton smoothing over any awkward moments between their two best friends whenever was necessary, until few blocks were left standing.

Brooke stared at the unstable structure, eyeing it carefully as she tried to decide her next move. Across from her, Haley looked on with a weary expression, biting her nail and shouting out warnings whenever Brooke would make a move to push out a block that seemed too unstable.

Lucas and Peyton sat back and watched the two immerse themselves in the game, as though the skeletal structure represented the very fabric of civilization and they had to make sure it didn't fall.

"Brooke!" Peyton yelled out in frustration.

Both brunettes shushed her harshly, glaring at her briefly before simultaneously turning back to the tower.

There was silence, Peyton and Lucas exchanged amused looks before turning back to the concentrating brunette.

"What about that one?" Haley asked tentatively, pointing to a block at the bottom. Brooke shook her head.

"It's the only thing holding that one over there."

"Oh."

Another minute passed, before Brooke seemed to make a decision.

"Okay." She took a deep breath and stretched her hand over the block tower, hovering for a few seconds and catching Haley's eyes before swiftly pushing a block out from

She shut her eyes tightly and waited for the inevitable crash of blocks. Hearing nothing, she peeked out through an eye lid to see the towering structure still standing strong.

"I did it!" She squealed, clapping her hands excitedly. Peyton shook her head and smirked. Lucas laughed. Haley smiled triumphantly, turning to Peyton.

"You're turn."

Peyton gave her a dry look and aimlessly reached for a block, ignoring the warnings from the two overzealous girls.

The tower tumbled. Brooke screamed in agony. Haley pouted and sat back on her chair.

* * *

Did anyone else get annoyed at how everyone justified with and defended Peyton's actions all the time?! Even Haley! Frustrated the hell outta me.


	6. Look After You

**Disclaimer** - If I owned OTH, **[insert every BL lover's disclaimer here]**. Title by the Fray.

**Summary: **Lucas, who'd never seen a person react so strangely towards an infant, watched Brooke's expressions carefully.

**A/N. **Thanks for those who reviewed. :) I'm on a roll with this fic for some reason. It's just easier to write. That and the fact that I just finished three of my finals and all of my never ending research papers. And now I'm free(ish).

My goodness. I am SO sorry for all the terrible grammatical errors last chapter! I did it at 3 am and totally didn't realize I was switching back and forth between tenses like that. I've been writing in the present tense for a while and wanted to do something in the past-tense, but I guess I don't realize it much anymore. Sorry again.

I'm really glad most of you are not mad at me for taking this slow. I've already written the chapters of them being together, but you just have to wait. :)

Enjoy, and please review!

* * *

Peyton was in a bad mood.

Lucas didn't know what had made her so upset. Her face was set in a permanent frown, and her lips were tightly pursed as she sat sketching in her notebook. He'd tried asking her what was wrong, tried to get her to talk to him so he could make her feel better. But every time she just shrugged and said it was nothing. Now, Lucas was used to having to push for Peyton to open up to him, but he thought that would change once they'd gotten together.

They sat there in silence for an hour, maybe less, the only sound between them being the Oasis C.D. Lucas had walked in on Peyton listening to, and the distant sound of a drill from a construction site a couple of houses away.

Suddenly, Lucas heard his phone ring.

"Hey Jake."

"Hey, Luke. got your message. I can't believe you missed that game." He chuckled into the phone. "Stevenson was all ball last night."

Lucas groaned. "I heard. But I had to cover a shift at the café and now I'm avoiding everyone like the plague because they're all set on ruining it for me."

He heard Jake laugh on the other end. "I bet. Look, don't sweat it. I recorded the game cause I was afraid that Jenny might need me and I'd miss part of it."

Lucas sat up in his chair. "Yeah? Can I borrow it?"

"Of course you can. It's why I told you about it."

Lucas smiled. "How is Jenny, anyway?"

Out of the corner of his eye, Lucas saw Peyton glance up at the name.

"She's doing good." Jake said proudly. "She's having one of her more calm days. You should come see her when she's like this."

Lucas looked up at Peyton. "Could I bring Peyton along?" The curly blond looked up at the sound of her name. "Yeah? That's perfect. We'll be there in a bit." He said his goodbyes and hung up the phone. The sound of the drill filled the air once again.

"So what was that about?" Peyton asked, her face emotionless.

Lucas smiled. "It was Jake. He invited us over to see his daughter, Jenny. You interested?"

Before Peyton could reply, a whirlwind of brunette burst through the door.

"Hi P. Sawyer!" She sing-songed, bouncing into the room. She stopped when she caught sight of Lucas. "Oh, hi broody." A pause. "Wait, are you guys on like...a date? Am I totally date crashing here?"

Lucas opened his mouth to answer, but Peyton beat him to it.

"No. Lucas just force-invited me into going to see a baby." She ignored her boyfriend's frown.

"A baby?! Awwee, yay!" She clapped her hands excitedly. "They're so totally adorable!"

"You wanna come?" Her friend drawled in a bored tone.

Brooke's bouncing immediately halted. She looked between her best friend and her boyfriend quizzically.

"You sure this isn't a date?"

Peyton rolled her eyes. "Jake's gonna be there."

Brooke's eyes widened in surprise. She hadn't even thought of that. "Oh! Well, then, awesome!" She stopped again. "Is that okay?" She looked to Lucas for confirmation, and he was forced to nod, albeit apprehensively.

Brooke started bouncing again. "Yay! Okay, I'll drive!"

"No. We're taking my car." Peyton didn't leave any room for argument. She immediately walked out of her room and to her drive way.

Brooke pouted and followed her, whining all the way out of the house. As he heard her voice grow more distant, Lucas became more aware of the drilling sound once again.

Sighing, he stood up from his seat at her desk and trudged his way across the room. He hadn't told Jake Brooke was coming along, and he didn't know how his closest team mate would react to it.

As Lucas walked down the hallway, he took his time to look at the various pictures hung on the wall. He'd always lingered around the house to look at the photos of his girlfriend and family. And it was only when he saw the amount of frames that included Brooke that he began to appreciate how intertwined the two girls were. He'd asked Peyton for more details, curious as to the enigma that was the friendship between the seemingly polar opposite girls. But Peyton had just given him a cryptic response, as always.

_"Brooke's just always been there."_

_Lucas frowned. "That's it?"_

_She shrugged. "Does it have to be anything else?"_

"Broody! Lets go!" Brooke's voice echoed from the hallway. Shaking his head, he made his way to the car to see Brooke in shotgun. Grunting in frustration, he sat in the back.

There hadn't been a moment of silence since Brooke showed up. She'd kept rambling on about anything and everything the entire ride over to Jake's, engaging the two blonds in the conversation as much as she could.

As soon as Peyton parked at the Jagleski household, she hopped out of the car and made her way to the front door. Brooke looked in the mirror and straightened out her hair.

"Hey Brooke?"

She caught his eyes in the mirror. "Yeah, broody?"

"Do you know why Peyton's so down today?"

She whipped her auburn strands around and frowned in confusion.

"She's not."

Lucas gave her a look. "Are you kidding? She hasn't stopped frowning or bitching all day."

"Oh, that's just Peyton being bored. She's into the whole 'I'm unsatisfied with life' thing."

Lucas frowned in thought. Peyton was bored? Of what? Of him?

Brooke seemed to catch on to his panic. "I wouldn't worry about it," She offered with a wave of her hand. "Peyton just gets these mood swings sometimes. It's nothing to take personally, okay?"

He caught her eyes and nodded. She smiled at him and made her way to the Jagleski household.

"Hi Jakie!" Was her way of greeting as she hurled herself at the shocked boy.

"Brooke. Hey, what a surprise!" He smiled kindly. He wasn't close to Brooke nor was he a stranger. But he knew more of the rumours than he did about _her_, and that definitely wasn't a good thing.

"Hey man." Lucas greeted Jake with the typical 'man hug': slapping their palms together and pulling each other in for a one armed hug.

"Hey. Glad you could make it. I decided to take a lazy day to hang out with Jenny. She's upstairs in her nursery. Come on."

The group made their way up the stairs and into a brightly coloured nursery where a large, wooden barred crib stood in the center. They gathered around the crib and cooed at baby Jenny, who was lying on her back and staring up at nothing.

"Awe! She's adorable!" Brooke squealed in delight.

Peyton smiled softly. "Yeah, Jake. She's beautiful."

The father smiled proudly and exchanged a look with the curly blond.

"Lucas says she has my eyebrows."

Brooke gasped. "No way!" She looked down at the baby. "Awe, don't worry Jenny. I'll fix those up for you." She looked up and was met with three un-amused expressions. "What?" She looked between them again. "Oh, relax Jagleski. Your eyebrows are hot for a guy but they just don't work on a girl."

"Okay, Brooke, _stop _talking." Peyton said in frustration. Brooke stood up and took a step back from the crib, rolling her eyes and hugging her arms around her waist. Lucas left Peyton and Jake to gush over the baby and made his way over to the sulking brunette.

"Hey." He said gently. Brooke glanced up at him.

"I'm not very good with babies." She said honestly. Lucas looked at her, noticing for the first time the way she couldn't keep her hands or arms still. She flicked her thumb nail, before repositioning her arms in what he could only assume were random spasms. He squinted up at her. _Was she nervous?_

"Are you nervous?" He asked, unable to keep the shock out of his voice.

Brooke glared at him. "Why would I be nervous?"

He shrugged. He honestly had no idea. An idea struck him and he gave her a side long glance.

"Is it Jake?" He whispered slyly. Brooke whipped up in shock.

"What? No! I—"

"You're a natural, Peyton!" Jake's voice broke through their conversation, and they looked up to see Peyton holding a giggling Jenny.

"She's such a great kid, Jake. You did good."

Lucas walked up to the two, tickling Jenny's tummy as Peyton held her in an upright position. The three laughed when her tiny mouth curved up into a happy smile.

Lucas looked up and saw Brooke still standing at the door. He might have been imagining it, but he thought she looked...scared. She seemed to be totally absorbed in the baby, watching with a soft, inquisitive expression as Peyton swooped her up and down and smiled at her giggle. Her lips twitched into a smile that he didn't think she was even aware of.

"You okay there, Brooke?" He asked, worried about the girl he was more or less forced to befriend.

She looked up at him. "Oh, yeah. Totally fine." She looked up at Jake. "Jenny's adorable."

He smiled proudly. "She is, isn't she?"

"Where's her mom?"

The room went silent. Jake looked down and sighed sadly. Peyton glared at her.

"She ran away," Jake admitted before Peyton could reprimand her best friend again. Brooke gasped in shock. "She was three years older than me, but she didn't think she could take care of her own daughter." He couldn't keep the bitterness out of his voice.

"I'm sorry, I didn't know." He shook his head, letting her know it was fine. But Brooke still felt guilty, and that made her feel awkward. And when she felt awkward, and guilty, she always tried to lighten the mood. "So, a cougar, huh? Nice Jake, didn't know you had it in ya."

That didn't really have the desired effect she was going for. The room was immersed in awkward silence again. Jake stared up at her, blinking back his shock. Peyton sent her another incredulous glare. Lucas bit his tongue to stop himself from laughing. He couldn't believe how nervous Brooke was being during this visit. Part of him found it curious that the Queen Socialite of Tree Hill couldn't hold her own in a conversation surrounding an infant. _This has to be about Jake_, he thought.

Brooke looked between the three, feeling even more misplaced than she had been first walking into the nursery. She knew she didn't do well in any of these...family type things. She shouldn't have come.

"Uh...yeah. I tend to ramble, when I'm--"

"Seriously, Brooke, just...._stop_." Peyton really didn't understand what had gotten into her friend. She normally wasn't _that _stupid. _She sounded like Bevin!_

"Nikki's only 20, Brooke," Jake supplied with an amused tone. This seemed to placate Peyton's anger.

"Oh..." Brooke bit her lower lip. "Well, whatever her age, she's still a bitch." She smiled up, hoping she'd finally said the right thing.

"She's right." Lucas offered, feeling he'd left her hanging long enough. Brooke sent him a thankful smile. "What you're doing, Jake: taking care of a child all on your own like that, that takes guts. I'm proud of you."

Peyton nodded, handing Jenny back to her father. "Lucas is right. Jenny doesn't need a sorry excuse for a mother who doesn't see how much of a blessing she is. She's got all she needs in you."

The father smiled, looking down at his little angel. "And my parents." He said honestly. "I couldn't do this without them."

"You're parents still haven't kicked you out?" Brooke's shocked voice filled the space again.

Peyton sighed and raised her arms. "I give up."

Jake quirked his eyes at her. "No, why would they?"

"Well, you're like--never mind." She was gonna say _screwed_, because that is exactly what she thought of his situation. But she figured she'd stuck her foot in her mouth enough times for the evening.

Jake gave her a bemused look. "You wanna hold her?" He offered, stretching out the baby towards the brunette.

Lucas thought he'd seen her eyes light up. He thought he saw her mouth open up in a smile and her eyes widen with excitement. But he wasn't sure, because in the next second, she was scowling.

"Ew, no. What if she like, barfs all over me?"

The atmosphere immediately turned awkward. Jake, who'd always been taught to be caring and polite to women, tried to conceal his resentment at her statement. Lucas frowned at her in disappointment and confusion. Peyton however didn't even try to hide her disgust.

"You're despicable, Brooke."

Brooke looked up at them innocently. "What? This is Armani. My clothes cost more than her baby crib alone." She said in a matter of fact tone.

"You know what? Why don't you just go and shop? We all know clothes are the only thing you care about."

"It's alright, Peyton." Jake sighed, placing his now sleeping child back in her crib. "Come on, I've got that video you wanted downstairs."

Sending another disappointed glance towards her childhood friend, Peyton followed Jake out of the room. Lucas started to go after them, but hesitated when he got to the door.

He turned to Brooke, who stood there watching the three exit in silence. She looked like she was about to say something, but seemed to think on it and shut her mouth. Lucas took a moment and tried to figure out what to say.

"You know, Brooke...there are more important things than clothes." He said gently, not trying to offend her, but hoping he would get her to realize that there was more to life than the material.

He left her alone in the room, following his girlfriend and close friend down the staircase, where he found them standing in the living room laughing hysterically.

"What's so funny?" He asked as he approached them, slowing down when he saw their close proximity.

The two exchanged a smile, before Peyton turned to him, shaking her head through her laughter.

"You had to be there, dude." She said, cracking up and eliciting another chuckle from Jake.

Lucas looked between them, an uneasy feeling boiling in the pit of his stomach. It didn't escape him that this was the first time he'd seen Peyton laugh all day. But it wasn't just that--it was the fact that she'd _giggled_. In all the years he'd watched her, and in the two-and-a-half weeks he'd dated her, he'd never seen Peyton Sawyer _giggle _before.

He cleared his throat. "So, uh, you got that game?"

Jake nodded and pulled out a video cassette from his collection. "The Lakers are on fire, man. Shaq is just..." He shook his head. "No words."

Lucas took the video tape from his friend, chuckling at his awe. "Thanks, man. I'll get this back to you tomorrow."

"Don't worry about it. I won't have time to watch it again until Jenny's 8 or something."

Peyton laughed and Lucas smiled before turning to her. "Wanna go?" He watched as her face fell, all traces of laughter disappearing.

"Sure--" She paused, realizing they were one short. "Where's Brooke?"

Lucas looked up the stairs, shocked that the brunette hadn't come down the stairs by now.

"Last I saw her she was up with Jenny."

"You left her with my kid?" Jake asked, worry evident in his tone.

"Relax, Jake. She's not going to hurt her." Peyton reassured him, knowing that her best friend was incapable of harming an innocent baby, no matter how shallow she could be. "Besides, Brooke wouldn't risk picking her up and getting her clothes all rumpled."

Jake sighed and relaxed. "I'm just worried she'll wake her."

"Yeah, she might. Lucas can you get her? Then we can leave."

Lucas looked at Peyton, recognizing the dismissal for what it was. Gritting his teeth to stop himself from glaring at her--he didn't want her to be angry with him--he nodded and turned away in search of Brooke.

He heard Peyton apologize to Jake about bringing Brooke along, and he couldn't help but think that it was _him_ that deserved an apology.

All bitter thoughts disappeared as he reached the doorway of Jenny's nursery. Brooke was crouched down at eye level with the sleeping baby, her hands wrapped around the bars of the crib as she looked in through the space between them. She looked so delicate, staring at the slumbering child with a soft look on her face that reminded him of the night they took care of Peyton. He hadn't thought about that night in a while, or the girl he'd stayed up talking to into the wee hours of the morning. He hadn't seen one trace of that girl in almost three weeks, and he was convinced that it was all an act she'd used to pass the time.

But watching her now, he was transported back to that night, and the strange feeling of calm that took over him as he found himself genuinely enjoying spending time with the bubbly cheerleader. He enjoyed it more than he'd ever thought he would; more than he'd ever admit.

"...and you guys have such awesome styles, too. Baby clothes are so much cuter than adult clothes. And no one ever criticizes you or makes fun of your hair or calls you a slut--well, that last part is obvious." She giggled softly, barely louder than the whispered way she'd voiced her thoughts to the unaware infant.

Lucas studied her face carefully. That softness and awe he noticed earlier was back in her features, but the timidness that held her back seemed to have disappeared. Or at the very least, decreased.

Brooke, so enamoured by the sleeping child that she still hadn't noticed his presence, stretched her hand hesitantly between the wooden bars, hovering momentarily over the tiny face. Slowly--Lucas thought the movement took far longer than the distance required--she lowered her hands and touched the baby's cheek.

It was incredibly soft. The softest feeling Brooke had ever felt in her life--and her bed sheets were made of Egyptian cotton.

Lucas smiled as he watched her eyes light up.

"Maybe you throwing up on me wouldn't be so bad after all?" She said with another giggle, rubbing the child's cheek with her finger.

Suddenly, Jenny stirred, and her eyes slowly blinked open. Brooke immediately began to panic, and looked up at the door to notice Lucas for the first time.

"Considering all she has is milk, it wouldn't be so bad, no." He walked briskly towards the crib, picking up the baby and rocking her back to sleep before she could cry.

Brooke watched him intently, noticing how completely at ease he was with the baby that he wasn't even related to.

"You're really good with her." She spoke softly.

Lucas shrugged. "My mom used to baby sit for our neighbours for extra money. They were usually babies and toddlers. I helped out a lot."

Brooke nodded. "Mamma Peyton used to do that too. Peyton used to tell me all these stories about how her mom would let her feed the babies. Or forced her to change their diapers." She added with a laugh.

Lucas chuckled, looking up at her with an appreciative smile. "She did look like she knew what she was doing." He offered, looking back at the baby who started to coo softly.

Brooke didn't answer, unused to the peaceful feeling she felt watching the scene in front of her. It was a feeling she'd only experienced once before: three weeks ago when she'd felt herself grow more attached to the boy she barely knew. She had talked more with him that night than she felt she had with anyone else in her entire life--except Peyton, of course.

"Aren't you afraid you'll drop her?" She blurted out suddenly. Lucas looked up at her in shock, noticing her completely serious expression.

"Brooke--" He started to chuckle, shaking his head in amusement. "It's not that hard. Look, she's so tiny and light. Not even a butter-fingers could drop her."

She stayed silent, and Lucas looked up to see her biting her lower lip in nervousness, her focus entirely on the child in his hands.

"Look, why don't you try--"

"No!" She said, taking a step away from him.

He gave her a look. "Brooke, come on. I'm right here. Besides, I know you want to." Walking in on her made him realize that her refusal to hold Jenny wasn't out of superficial considerations-it was fear.

Brooke scowled. "What gave you that idea? I said-"

"I heard you talking to her before she woke up."

She glared at him and grit her teeth. "Yeah, well, I never said she wasn't _cute._ Babies are fun to watch, but they're not worth much else."

Rolling his eyes, and refusing to leave before she had a chance to hold the child, Lucas walked over to the other side of the room and stood in front of her.

"Look, when I was young my mom told me that women had a natural ability when it came to babies. Your elbows bend better and your arms are the perfect length, or something." Brooke quirked her eyebrows. "I don't get it either. But you can do this. You just have to stop being so nervous and take control. And I'm here if anything happens, okay?" He said the last part gently, looking into her eyes in an attempt to reassure her.

Brooke nodded slowly, raising her arms in the position she saw him holding the baby. Lucas started to hand Jenny to her, but she suddenly backed away.

"Wait, what if she really does barf all over me?" She asked nervously. Lucas gave her a dry look.

"Like I said--It's milk. I'll have my mom wash it for you if anything happens."

"But it's dry cleaning onl--"

"Brooke!" He said louder than he meant to. Jenny stirred again in his arms.

The brunette teen took a deep breath and got in position again. This time, she didn't back away when Lucas gently placed the baby in her arms.

"Am I doing it right?" Her voice quivered with fear.

"You're doing fine--support her head." He coached gently.

She nodded, doing as she was told and before she realized it, he'd slipped his arms away entirely and Brooke found herself completely supporting the child.

Lucas watched her look down at the baby with an awed expression, and he couldn't help but smile. He felt elated knowing that he'd coaxed her into it, seeing how happy it made her.

"She's so light!" She whispered in surprise.

"Have you really never held a baby before?" The idea that she was 17 years old and still hadn't carried a child floored him.

Brooke shook her head, never taking her eyes off the little angel in her arms. "Uh-uh. My mother says that's what mid-wives are for."

Lucas squinted in confusion, wanting to ask her to elaborate, when suddenly a loud wail filled the room.

Brooke's eyes widened in surprise and she immediately started to panic, holding the baby a bit away from her and trying to rock her back to sleep as she'd seen Lucas do.

"Wh--what did I do?!" She asked desperately, looking up at Lucas in fear.

"Nothing--she's probably just hungry." He walked up to her and held out his hands to take the baby, when Jake burst into the room and looked around wildly for his daughter, Peyton right behind him.

"What're you doing?" He asked in shock, rushing over to take his daughter from the terrified brunette. He hadn't meant to sound so harsh, but he still wasn't able to control the way his heart raced with fear whenever he heard his baby cry.

"N-n-nothing! I was just holding her and I--"

"What were you doing holding her? Brooke--she was asleep!" Peyton's disappointed voice accused her best friend.

"Hey, it wasn't Brooke's fault. Jenny was quiet for a long time while Brooke was holding her. She probably just needs a diaper change or something, Jake."

The new father nodded bending down to smell his daughters diaper. "She doesn't smell like it. Maybe she's hungry? Are we hungry again, cookie monster?" He cooed down at her, ignoring the other three occupants in the room.

Peyton glared at her Brooke and her boyfriend. "Alright, lets go. We've caused enough trouble for Jake today." She said sternly.

Lucas glanced at Brooke, who looked like she was about to cry.

"Hey," He started softly. "It wasn't you're fault. You did good, okay?"

She looked up at him, much like she had the night he'd comforted her about taking Peyton to the party where she'd gotten drugged--the look was afraid, and vulnerable; guilty and disbelieving.

"Lets go." He offered quietly, catching Peyton's eyes before the three made their way down the stairs. Brooke immediately exited the house, not bothering to say goodbye.

"I'm really sorry about that, Jake." Peyton said again. The father nodded, trying to calm his fussing daughter.

"Do you need anything?" Peyton asked, noticing he was having trouble with the child.

Jake shook his head. "No, thanks. I'll be fine. I'll call my mom if I can't figure out what's wrong."

Peyton nodded to him and sent him a small smile, which didn't go unnoticed by Lucas.

"Well, I had fun. Jenny's a beautiful girl," She offered softly. Jake looked up at her and smiled.

"She is."

Watching his girlfriend leave, Lucas decided to ignore whatever discomfort he'd felt at the exchange, opting instead to pat his friend on the back.

"Hang in there, Jagielski." Jake smiled at him and turned his attention back to his daughter as Lucas made his way out.

He walked towards his girlfriend's comet, noticing first the fact that Brooke was sitting in the back seat, then the rippling tension between the two friends. He sat in shotgun and looked between them.

"It wasn't Brooke's fault, you know." He felt he had to stick up for the brunette, who hadn't said anything since Peyton and Jake walked in on her holding the crying baby.

"Jenny was sleeping, Lucas! She shouldn't have bothered her!"

"She didn't--"

"Can we not talk about this? Jake's taking care of it, isn't he?" Peyton rolled her eyes. "Just take us back to your house, Peyt. I gotta meet Bevin at the mall in an hour."

The blond friend snorted and shook her head. The entire ride back was completely silent, and it didn't escape Lucas that he felt just as bored as before Brooke appeared.

He glanced at her in the rear view mirror, and watched as she pointedly looked to her side, ignoring the two at the front.

He wished she'd say something.

* * *

I don't know anything about basketball. I googled "basketball lingo" and picked out the first term I saw. And I wikipedia'd NBA games of 2003-2004 to figure out that the Lakers were doing well or whatever. Hope it made sense.

Review!


	7. Vicarious

**Disclaimer** - If I owned OTH, **[insert every BL lover's disclaimer here]**.

**Summary: **Lucas is caught in the middle of the first fight between the best friends. Brooke and Peyton get to the bottom of their dwindling relationship.

**AN:** Thanks for those who reviewed! I'm glad you like this fic! This chapter was difficult for me to write, and I don't like how it turned out at all so I can't imagine how difficult it is for you to read. I don't know...I feel the writing quality is very disconnected. I know some of you will hate it, but believe it or not, this is more about BP than it is L/P. I wanted to explore why Peyton seemed so detached from Brooke in early season 1. And the L/P I have is always important for later.

_-Enjoy-_

* * *

_"IS SOMEONE GETTING THE BEST, THE BEST, THE BEST, THE BEST OF YOU?! IS SOMEONE GETTING THE BEST, THE BEST, THE BEST, THE BEST OF YOU?!"_

It's Wednesday morning. The chill autumn breeze shakes the tree branches of red and yellow and orange leaves, forcing the residents of Tree Hill to bundle up for the first time that fall. Lucas and Peyton drive to school in his truck, screaming the lyrics to the Foo Fighters _Best of You _at the top of their lungs.

Peyton Sawyer is in a good mood today.

_"HAS SOMEONE TAKEN YOUR FAITH, IT'S REAL! THE PAIN YOU FEEL! YOUR TRUST, YOU MUST, CONFESS!"_

They'd already done this so many times that they'd lost count. Peyton loved their "_nails-on-a-chalk-board karaoke sessions"_ as she affectionately calls them. She told Lucas that she didn't often get the chance to just let loose and scream her favorite songs with Brooke because their tastes in music were as different as night and day. Lucas had given her a sympathetic smile then, confessing that he and Haley had done it ever since they were 12 when he'd finally managed to convince her that Pearl Jam, Bush, and Nirvana were the best bands on the planet. Peyton had laughed, and they'd been singing off-tune, screeching duets ever since.

Lucas pulls into the school parking lot as soon as the guitar rim starts playing. He and Peyton shake their heads to the beat and air drum the percussion, not caring that students who walk by their car could see them. Once the song ends, Lucas grins up at her and shuts off the engine, hopping out of the truck as Peyton comes down from her mirth.

"I love that song." She says as she walks next to him towards the school entrance, shoving her hands deep into her coat pockets.

"Foo Fighters are awesome."

"They had a few misses with their last album, though."

"Oh yeah? Which ones?"

Peyton starts to answer, but stops when she catches sight of Brooke at her locker.

Lucas follows Peyton's line of sight and sighs.

"She still upset with you?" His girlfriend shrugs. "Aren't you gonna apologize?"

She frowns. "Why would I apologize?"

"Well...it's just that..." He takes a deep breath. "You were a _bit _hard on her."

The curly blond rolls her eyes. "Are you saying I was too hard on _the _Queen Bitch of Tree Hill?"

"No. I'm saying you were too hard on your friend." She looks away, and he can tell she's pissed at him. "Come on, are you really going to let your friendship break down because of one stupid fight?"

"I'm not the one doing it."

He sighs, shoving his hands into his pockets as he looks up at the brunette. "She really didn't do anything wrong with Jenny."

"Are you kidding me? Did you forget what she said?"

He half shrugs. "She was nervous."

Peyton frowns up at him. "Since when did you defend Brooke Davis?"

Letting out a laugh, he shakes his head. "I'm not defending her. I'm just telling you what I saw." The bell rings, alerting the students that they had less than five minutes to get to class. "I have to go. We still hanging out after school with Haley?"

She nods. "Yeah." Lucas bends down to give her a good bye kiss, but misses when she swerves away from him, giving him a weird look. "Dude, I'm seeing you in less than three hours."

She doesn't think much of his frown. "Right." He pulls back and tries to hide his embarrassment—and irritation. "See ya."

Peyton watches him walk away, knowing that he's upset with her dispassionate nature. But she can't help it. She doesn't have that urge to make out with him all the damn time like the rest of the shallow, sex-crazed student population. Besides, she's never been the type to publicly display any type of _emotion_, let alone affection.

Sighing in annoyance and scrunching up her face in her signature frown, she makes her way over to her locker, which is right next to Brooke's thanks to the brunette's powers of persuasion.

She takes time opening her locker, waiting for her friend to break the silence and say something. She's never been capable of staying quiet for long. But the slamming of metal and the clicking of heals alert her that this time her impatient best friend is doing just fine ignoring her.

"Are you seriously still mad at me?" She yells out, ignoring the second bell that signals they were late for class.

Brooke whips around and glares at her. "Are _you _seriously mad that_ I'm _still mad at you?"

"Look, I said I was sorry."

Brooke gawks at her. "No, you _didn't_!"

"Oh, well...look this is stupid. Could we just forget about it?"

"You totally embarrassed me in front of Jake and Luke on Saturday! And you want me to just forget it?!"

"You were acting stupid!"

"This is a _fantastic _apology."

Peyton rolls her eyes. "Whatever, Brooke. If you want to keep on acting like a bitch, then go ahead." She storms passed the angry brunette, not bothering to hide her frustration. If Brooke wanted to make this a big deal then it was fine with her. Peyton Sawyer did _not _grovel.

**~*~**

That evening, Peyton, Haley and Lucas sit on top of Karen's Café, listening to Nirvana's _Smells Like Teen Spirit _as the childhood best friends played mini-golf_._

"I still can't believe you guys built a golf course up here," Peyton says in amusement.

Lucas shrugs. "Golf course, lounge, hide out. This place is anything you want it to be."

Haley nods along, listening to the conversation as she set up her golf ball in position. "It's like the Room of Requirement." She says with a smile.

Lucas and Peyton stare at her with blank expressions.

"You know, Harry Potter?"

Lucas cringes. "Awe, Hales."

Peyton smirks. "Why does it not surprise me that you like that crap?"

She frowns. "Hey. It's not crap. It has a good storyline. It's not like I read it for its literary genius."

"What's the point of reading a book if it's not written well?" Lucas never understood the appeal of a book that had such simplistic sentence structure.

Haley glares at him. "It _is _written well! Look, granted, it's no Jane Austin—"

"The very fact that you're even comparing them offends me."

Peyton watches the two best friends banter, feeling a sense of déjà vu as she remembers having a similar fight with her best friend.

"Brooke liked Harry Potter." She says suddenly, effectively ending Lucas and Haley's escalating argument.

Lucas looks at Peyton in confusion, but his petite best friend scowls at her.

"Brooke reads?"

Peyton chuckles. "She used to. And only Harry Potter."

"Figures."

"Did you two make up yet?"

Peyton looks at Lucas. "Why do you care so much?"

He squints down at her in confusion. "Don't you?"

She shrugs but doesn't say anything. "So are we doing this, or what?" She asks, gesturing to the make shift course.

Lucas and Haley exchange a confused look before shrugging.

"I'll go first!" Haley grabs her golf club and positions herself adjacent to the ball, frowning in concentration.

"It's not the Championship, James."

"Hey, now. If you're going to be coming up here you're going to have to abide by one rule." The petite brunette walks up close to the much taller blond, unfazed by the latter's much more menacing physique, and glares up at her. "When you're on the golf course, you do not _insult_ the golf course."

Peyton raises her eyebrows in amusement. "What is this, Fight Clu—_haachhoo_!"

"Bless you!" Haley and Lucas yell at the same time.

"And yes," continues Haley. "It's exactly like that."

"Only without the schizophrenic masochist."

Peyton starts to laugh, but half way through, she sneezes again.

"Bless you! Again! Are you allergic to something, Peyt?"

The curly blond sniffles. "Like what? Air?"

"I don't know. Maybe you're catching a cold?"

The blond sniffles again and shakes her head. "Quit stalling, Haley. I wanna beat you at this thing."

Her friend laughs. "You wish."

**~*~**

_"THERE'S NOTHING ELSE TO LOSE. THERE'S NOTHING ELSE TO FIND! THERE'S NOTHING IN THE WORLD, THAT COULD CHANGE MY MIND! THERE IS NOTHING ELLLLLLLLSSSSSEEEE!"_

Thursday morning starts out for Peyton much like it did the day prior, only with an added passenger.

"Wow, Haley. You have a pretty kick ass voice." Peyton smiles at her new friend, admiring the way her strong voice filled the car.

Haley blushes. "Yeah, well. In comparison to you two the horn of a car sounds more musical."

Lucas snorts. "Just take the compliment, Hales."

Peyton smiles in amusement before she's suddenly hit with a fierce coughing fit.

"Whoa, Peyt, you okay?" Her boyfirend's worried voice asks.

Peyton steps out of the car as soon as Lucas parsk.

"Yeah. I think I do have a bit of a cold. Nothing I can't handle."

"You sure?"

She snorts. "You don't have to treat me like a child, Lucas."

He sighs before nodding. "I'll see you later." He turns and immediately walks away.

He doesn't bother trying to kiss her this time.

**~*~**

That evening, Lucas sits nervously next to a sick and cranky Peyton Sawyer, who is snuggled up in her bed. Lucas had tried to make her feel better by distracting her from her illness, but the dry, pissed off look on her face never once receded. He'd given up after a while, and they've been sitting in silent tension ever since.

"Can I get you anything?" He asks nervously.

"You asked me that like, five minutes ago, dude." She deadpans. "_No_."

"Are you sure you don't want to go to the doctor?"

Peyton rolls her eyes. "Look, if you're going to just sit there asking the same questions over again like a bad song on repeat, then why don't you just leave?"

He cringes at her sharp tone, but lets it slide. He reassures himself that she's only being like this because she's sick, and that anyone would act the same way if they were in her position.

The sound of a slamming door pulls him out of his thoughts, and he jerks off the chair, looking towards the hallway in alarm.

"Who do you think that is?"

"Brooke." She says confidently.

Lucas frowns. "Did you call her?"

"No."

"I thought she was still mad at you."

"She is."

Tired of her cryptic answers, Lucas decides to go and investigate himself, not entirely confident in his girlfriend's answer.

He walks into the kitchen to find Brooke rummaging through the cabinets, pulling out a large red bag that read _Medical Kit _on the lid.

"Brooke! I didn't think you'd be stopping by."

She glances back at him before resuming her task. "I heard from one of the girls that Peyton was sick again. Did she get a fever yet?"

She walks to the other side of the kitchen and pulls out a pouch of Lipton Herbal Tea. It's then that Lucas notices the kettle boiling water.

Lucas frowns. "Uhh...._no_. She's just sneezing and coughing a bit so far."

Brooke nods as she puts pours boiling water into a cup with a tea pouch in it. She opens another cabinet and takes out a small bowl that Lucas realizes holds sugar cubes, and plops one into the tea. She then takes out a bottle of honey and pours a large blob in before replacing everything in its spot.

Lucas feels silly just watching her make tea, so he starts up conversation.

"I tried to get her to go to the doctor, but she won't listen to me. And I already offered her tea--"

Brooke gives him a look. "You don't _offer_ her stuff, Luke. You have to force her into it when she's like this." She walks passed him and makes her way to Peyton's room.

"Did you take a bath yet or not?"

Peyton doesn't even seem fazed by her appearance.

"No." She mumbles begrudgingly, taking the hot tea from Brooke's hands.

"Dammit, Sawyer. You know if you don't take a bath right away you only get worse!"

Frustrated, she goes into her bathroom and starts up the running water. Lucas walks in on the two and looks between them, confused as to how they're acting as if this is normal occurrence.

"I didn't take Brooke for the nurse-type." He half-jokes. Peyton shrugs and gulps her tea.

She sneezes loudly. Brooke re-emerges from the bathroom and plops on the bed beside her and opens up the medical kit. She takes out a thermometer and sticks it in Peyton's mouth. It beeps twice before she pulls it out.

"Okay, you only have a mild fever." She sighs and puts the thermometer away. She rummages through her baby pink back pack and pulls out a single yogurt. "Here. Got this from the cafeteria on my way over."

"Plain?" Her friend asks hopefully, taking the yogurt cup from Brooke's outstretched hand. The brunette nods and hands her a small packet.

"With one packet of sugar."

Lucas stands back and watches silently as Brooke dumps the sugar into the yogurt and Peyton mixes it before eating it greedily.

The front door bell rings suddenly. Brooke looks up at Lucas. "That must be Jack with the soup. Broody, could you get that?"

Startled at the request, Lucas can do nothing but nod before he hurries out of the room and towards the front door. Opening it, he's met with a man in a tux holding a large brown bag up to him. Lucas glances behind him to see a limo stretched on the side of the house.

"Uh—"

"Miss Brooke told me to drop this off." The waiter says politely, handing the bag to Lucas who felt the heat from the hot meal radiate in his hands.

The gentleman turns around and walks back to the limo, leaving a bewildered Lucas standing at the door. He casts one last glance at the man, feeling like he'd just been in a scene of a '50s film, before shutting the door and making his way up to the girls.

He finds Peyton sitting up on the bed, scowling at the spoon full of red liquid held in Brooke's hand.

"That stuff tastes like ass, Brooke."

Her friend shrugs, holding up the spoon closer to her patient's mouth. "And it works."

Rolling her eyes, Peyton opens her mouth obediently and gulps the disgusting syrup that Brooke shoved in her mouth. She groans and throws her head back as it trickles down her throat.

"Water."

Brooke rolls her eyes, looking up to see Lucas walk in with the package. "I've got one better. I had Britta make chicken and vegetable soup for you." She stands up and takes the package from Lucas' hand.

"Thank you, handsome." She flirts, smirking to herself as he blushes and full on laughing at Peyton's scowl.

"Eat up, P. Sawyer."

Peyton doesn't move a muscle.

"It has extra chicken." Brooke says knowingly, holding the bowl of soup and a spoon.

Peyton stares at her before sitting up and taking the bowl. Brooke watches her slurp a spoon full of the soup, satisfied.

"Well, your fever's not bad. I'm gonna go and tell Dr. Rosinghall that we won't need him."

She walks out of the room, pulling out her cell phone. Lucas cast a glance at his girlfriend who seemed to be thoroughly enjoying her soup before turning to Brooke.

"You look like you know what you're doing."

She shrugs, waiting for the doctor to answer. "Peyton gets sick like this almost every autumn. She doesn't handle sudden shifts in weather very well." Someone on the other line picks up. "Hello? Dr. Rosinghall? Brooke Davis speaking. We won't need that appointment after all. Yes, I promise. Alright, thanks." She hangs up the phone and sighs, leaning against the wall she turns to Lucas to see him looking at her in a way she's never seen before.

"What?"

"You're a good friend."

She frowns. "You sound surprised." Lucas looks taken aback. Truth is, he _is _surprised. But he hadn't meant to offend Brooke.

But her glare made it clear that the offense was already taken. Brooke stands up and crosses her arms.

"I get that you think I'm a bitch and are totally jealous of my privileged life or whatever but what the hell gave you the idea that I wasn't a good friend?!" Her voice is angry, and her tone pressing.

"I didn't...I just—" A loud coughing fit cuts him off. Brooke walks in and over to her friend's bed.

"Dammit, Sawyer you sound like a dying grandpa."

The curly blond glares up at her. "That joke never gets old, Brooke."

"I keep telling you, Goldie, that's not meant to be a joke. You have the most offending cough I've ever heard." She looks up at Lucas. "Tell her, Lucas."

He looks up, startled at the correct use of his name. Brooke _always _calls him by his nick name. "Uhh...." He meets his girlfriend's glare and backs away. "Peyton's cough is normal."

_Both _girls scowl at him.

"Way to sound convincing."

"Effing scared-y cat."

Lucas groans. _He just couldn't win._

"Okay, well...I have to get to the café for a shift. Are you gonna be okay, Peyton?"

His girlfriend grunts in affirmation. He glances at Brooke, but she refuses to look at him.

He walks away from the two girls, wondering why it is that he always managed to say something to upset the brunette.

He feels like an ass.

**~*~**

Peyton watches Brooke rummage through her closet for a pair of PJs. The strength with which she slams the closet door gives Peyton a _hint _to the mood her friend is in.

"So, I take it your still mad?" She deadpans.

Brooke walks up to the bed and glares down at her best friend, before throwing the pair of pyjamas in her face.

"For a fake blond, you sure do catch on slow."

Peyton rolls her eyes and starts to change her clothes.

"Okay, so maybe I was a bit harsh on you the other day—"

"Why does Lucas think I'm a terrible friend?"

Peyton freezes midway through putting on her top.

"_What_?"

"You heard me."

She frowns. "He doesn't."

"Yes, he does. Just an hour ago his eyes were about to pop out like bug bunny on steroids when he saw me taking care of you."

Peyton shrugs. "You don't come off as the nursing type."

"But that wasn't the only time! I mean, okay, I could understand why he would be shocked when we _first_ hung out but I would've thought he'd gotten over it by now. I mean, what do you tell him about us?"

Peyton gives her a look. "Nothing."

"_Nothing_?"

"Why would I talk about us?"

Brooke gawks at her. "He talks about him and Haley _all the time!_"

"He and Haley are the sentimental type! So what?"

Brooke huffs and stomps her foot. "Well, how come you never defend me to them?" She whines.

"Brooke, you're being crazy."

"No. I'm serious. I know that he and especially little miss perfect Tutor Girl probably make fun of me behind my back all the time—"

"They don't."

"But I want to know why you're not ripping them a new one when they do."

Brooke knows she has a bad reputation. And she knows that she deserves most of it. But Lucas seemed to see something through it.

_You don't have to act like this, Brooke. _

"Since when did you need me to fight your battles for you?"

"What the fuck happened to you, Peyt? Are we even best friends anymore?"

Peyton frowns. "Of course we are."

"Then what's going on?!" She throws her hands up in the air and holds in the tears that threatened to burst. Normally, she'd be embarrassed to let anyone see her crying, but this is her Peyton. "You've been constantly bitching at me since forever and you've been all distant for a while now—more than your usual closed off self—and you treat me like shit whenever you get the chance!"

Peyton looks down. "I don't treat you like shit."

"Yes you do! Just last weekend with Jake!" Peyton looks up at her and starts to speak. "And even if I _was_ acting stupid you know how freaked out I get around babies! You should've tried to cover for me instead of bitch at me like I was some idiot!"

"Fine. I'm sorry about what I said at Jake's, alright?"

Brooke takes a deep breath to calm herself, angry that Peyton wasn't taking this as seriously as her. For as long as Brooke can remember it's always been the two of them. Peyton is the _only _constant Brooke has ever had and without her, she has absolutely no one. And she used to be the same for the blond.

"What's really going on here, Peyt?"

"You forgot about it," She says quietly.

Brooke frowns. "Forgot about what?"

"Her! My mom! You forgot about her death and thought that I was upset over _Nathan_. Jesus, Brooke!"

Brooke freezes. _What month is it? _Her mouth goes slack when it dawns at her that her best friend's words are true.

"Oh, Peyton." Brooke walks over to the bed and sits next to her friend. "I—"

She cuts herself off, unable to formulate words to explain her actions. She'd been mourning Anne Sawyer's death with Peyton every year for the past 8 years. And she hadn't missed a _single_ anniversary, knowing how much Peyton relied on her. She'd always been there, supporting Peyton through the pain, making sure she'd stayed safe and away from cars so she wouldn't do any one of her crazy stunts. Brooke looks at Peyton, wondering whether her friend ran those same red lights she tortures herself with every year. Every time Peyton would get the urge to do put herself in danger, Brooke was always there to pull her back.

She'd always been there, until now.

She honestly has no idea _why—how_ she'd forgotten. And her apologetic look lets her best friend know how lost she was.

"You're changing, Brookie." She says softly, sniffling through her runny nose. "And not for the better. You've been changing ever since we got into high school but I never thought you'd forget about my mom."

"Peyton, I'm so sorry—I don't kno—"

"And with Jenny, I don't know just to see her having to grow up without a mom too—I just connected with her, you know? And she was so sweet and innocent and I..." She trails off, and shrugs. The truth is that she felt as though Lucas and Brooke had invaded her connection with Jake and Jenny. She could connect with them on a level that her boyfriend and best friend couldn't.

Brooke looks down, letting her friend's words sink in. She hates herself for letting Peyton down the way she did. But it didn't make the months of barely concealed taunts hurt any less. The brunette grits her teeth. How could they hurt each other like that?

"I didn't mean to push you away, Brookie."

"But you did." Peyton looks up at her. "I know I've changed, Peyt and I'm sorry—But you didn't even talk to me about it. You're mom's death anniversary was a month and a half ago." Her friend looks away. "And you just let it build up this rift between us instead of confronting me about it."

"I shouldn't have needed to!"

Brooke shakes her head. "I know, but it isn't just about that, Peyt. We've been drifting for a long time now. Even if I did change, _we_ never changed for me. You were still my bestest friend ever and I told you everything Peyt. And you just...you immediately shut off and you started looking down at me. I mean, you were just like _her_." Peyton's eyes widen. There is no need to specify who Brooke was talking about. "Look, maybe you didn't mean it—" she says when she sees Peyton start to get defensive. "But that's just how I felt. I mean from Victoria I'm used to it. _Her_ I expect to treat me like I'm worthless. But _you_?" Peyton looks away, gritting her teeth to keep herself from crying. "How could you just give up on me like that?"

The blond shakes her head to rid herself of the tears. Then shrugs. "I guess I've changed, too."

Brooke nods, accepting the explanation for what it was. Neither girls understood their actions and both wanted to move on from it completely.

Brooke lays down in silence and sighs. After a while, Peyton follows her lead.

"So...so what do we do now?" The brunette's shaky voice echoes after a few minutes of silence, broken only by Peyton's sneezing.

She feels her friend shift next to her.

"Go back to the way things were, I guess."

Brooke turns her head to look at her. "You think we can?" She asks hopefully.

"Well, we lasted this long. Gotta mean something, right?"

Brooke smiles wide, turning her head back to look up at the ceiling. After minutes of silence, she voices a thought that simply refused to leave her.

"Why couldn't you have changed into someone more fun?"

Peyton elbows her, before a genuine smile lights her face.

~*~

Lucas walks into his girlfriend's house, a hot bowl of soup held in his hands. He was worried about her throughout his entire shift, and Deb had let him off early so he could go take care of her, sending a hot bowl of soup to help her get better.

When he enters the household, he's surprised to find himself walking in on one Brooke Davis sprawled half-hazardly across the couch, watching an episode of the O.C. Lucas freezes at the sight of her. Worry over his girlfriend wasn't the only thing that occupied his mind that evening. He hadn't been able to get the look the brunette had given him out of his head. It was a look that he originally thought was angry and full of arrogance, but the more he replayed the image in his head, the more he recognized the hidden hurt and..._something._ He still couldn't fully understand her, and he isn't even sure he wants to try. All he knows is that he doesn't want to be the boy who hurt her. His mother had raised him better than that.

She turns to him and catches him staring at her. Lucas shakes his head.

"I didn't think you'd still be here."

She shrugs and flops back to her original position on the couch, turning her attention back to the television.

"Peyton's sleeping upstairs."

Lucas sighs. "Deb had me bring her over broth to help her get better."

"Peyton hates broth."

Lucas sits down on the arm of the couch, trying to think of a way to smooth over their tension and apologize. Brooke Davis has turned out to be far more work than he'd expected a best friend of his girlfriend to be. She _irritates_ him; that much is for certain. But there is something about her that makes it difficult for him to just turn away and ignore her. He doesn't understand why—maybe it's his desire to get to know the girl who'd captured Peyton's loyalty against all odds. Maybe it's the way her entire body seems to ignite with fire and passion whenever she's angry, or excited, or happy, or sad or any other extreme emotion she could be feeling at any given second. Whatever the reason, he's found himself actually working to establish..._something_ amicable between them.

"Did that Seth guy get the girl yet?" He asks to break the tension.

Brooke glances at him. "No."

He frowns, not used to the usually talkative spitfire to give short answers, and he realizes that getting back on her good graces was going to be harder than he thought.

"I'm sorry." He starts. When she doesn't acknowledge that he even talked, he tries again. "I shouldn't have thought you were a bad friend. I didn't know anything about you and Peyton's relationship and I'm sorry."

Brooke continues to stare at the T.V. screen. "Don't be."

He squints at her.

"I'm not a good friend." She shrugs and sits up, ignoring the inquisitive look on his face.

"Brooke, wha—?"

"Are you going to stay the night?" She asks suddenly.

"Uh, no."

"Then could you leave? I'm pretty tired and I'm gonna crash here tonight."

"Oh..." He looks around nervously. "Your parents are cool with that?" He asks out of habit.

"Yep. They don't mind." He looks at her suspiciously. She sends him a suggestive smile. "I'm a big girl."


	8. Time to Pretend

**Disclaimer** - If I owned OTH, **[insert every BL lover's disclaimer here]**.

**Summary: **Brooke tries to convince Peyton and Lucas to go to the beach.

**A/N:** Hey guys! How are you all doing? Just got back from a trip to North Africa, and let me tell you it is BEAUTIFUL. Seriously. It was soooo awesome. I went with a few friends on an impromptu trip and can't say I've ever enjoyed anything more. Morocco is flipping drop dead gorgeous. And Cairo is the absolute best place to shop. New York who? It really was a great experience. I say you all do it up if ever you get the chance. Especially Casablanca. HDMF.

Thank you so so so so SO much for all those who reviewed! Im so glad you're all enjoying this fic. I'll be updating like I did before. Every 3 days or a week maximum.

This drabble is terrible. I feel very detached from the characters right now, and it ends rather abruptly, but I wanted to put something up.

Enjoy, and sorry about the OOC parts.

* * *

"Lets go to the beach!"

Peyton shares an amused look with Lucas before turning to the vivacious brunette.

"Brooke, it's autumn."

"I _know_...." She huffs. "I'm bored."

"So why don't you go to the mall?"

"I just came back from there!"

Peyton gawks at her. "Do my ears deceive me? Is Brooke Davis _actually tired of shopping_? Alert the media!" She fakes a faint, before joining in with her boyfriend's laughter at her best friend's expense.

"Shut up!" She pouts. "I bought everything I wanted already," she admits.

Her friend rolls her eyes. "That makes more sense."

Brooke sticks out her tongue before plopping on her friend's spacious bed. She'd walked in on them having yet another discussion about yet _another_ depressing song blaring through Peyton's stereo. She'd tried to escape before they noticed her presence but as soon as she turned she heard her best friend call her back.

She knows Lucas is angry with her; he hasn't said a word since she first entered the room. Truthfully, she feels bad. She's used to constantly hanging out with Peyton, but she knows it must be annoying for her new boyfriend. And while normally she wouldn't care—if a guy couldn't handle her friendship with Peyton, he could go to hell—she couldn't help but feel bad whenever she'd catch the disappointed look on Lucas' face.

And the worst part is that Peyton seems to be completely oblivious to it.

"I still say we go to the beach."

The beach is open, it'll give her a chance to interact more in a less confined setting. And if she ever feels that Lucas wants some time alone with Peyton, she could give them space.

"I hate the beach." Peyton did always manage to ruin her plans.

"I know you do but come _oooooooooonnnnnn_." She whines, bouncing as she extends her words. "The weather's awesome outside!"

It's true. The day started with unusually warm weather for the season and Brooke genuinely wanted to take advantage of it before the horrid weather comes back and gets worse as days moved in to winter.

"I want to go to the record store," Peyton says stubbornly.

"But you ALWAYS go to the record store!"

The curly blonde shrugs. Brooke huffs and turns to the quiet third party, who is sitting in the corner reading his novel.

"What about you, Broody?"

Lucas turns to her with a startled look. He'd resigned himself to being ignored when she'd walked into the room and pointedly directed her attention towards Peyton, and didn't seem the least interested in talking to him let alone getting his opinion.

"Huh?"

"You wanna go to the record shop or the beach?"

He looks between the brunette and his girlfriend, and decides to lie.

"I hate the beach, too."

Brooke scowls at him. "Do you guys ever get tired of dating yourself?" She mocks.

Peyton stays silent, but Lucas speaks up.

"We're _not _dating ourselves."

She half shrugs. "Well it's either that or you're whipped."

Peyton lightly punches her friend's shoulder. Brooke hisses in return.

"I'm not whipped." He tries to save some of his dignity. "I just like the record store better."

"Whatever, you two are _no_ fun."

"Brooke, you know you just want to go to the beach to hit on hot guys." Her friend laughs.

"Well, of course I do, Goldilocks. We don't all have a personal boy toy to practice our wildest fantasies on." She winks at Lucas, who blushes furiously.


	9. Fleeting

**Disclaimer** - If I owned OTH, **[insert every BL lover's disclaimer here]**. But i don't so, shut up about it.

**Summary: **Lucas gives Brooke a taste of heaven, one which she unknowingly returns.

Hey all! Hope you've all had a good week. This chapter didn't really end up like I wanted it to, but I'm satisfied with it. I'd like to dedicate it to **ipodder**, for the sweet message you send me while I was on vacation—I just read it last Tuesday, and i'm sorry for you not being a BLer anymore, but i'm so glad you're enjoying this—and to **boothimyours**, for consistently reviewing every single one of my chapters, and for quoting _Tool_ to me in a review for a fic about a high school drama couple. You totally rock, dude.

I'd also like to give a shout out to **ImmaBee**, because you had the guts to tell me what I'm positive is a criticism of many of my readers. I'm so glad that you love my writing and I honestly take no offense to your points. I know it's not progressing in the traditional fic sense but it's actually not meant to. Think of it as chapters of random scenes of the life of Brooke and Lucas, all of which will lead up to their falling in love but not in a direct storybook kind of way. There's no one storyline that connects from one chapter to the next except for the circumstances they're in right now: L/P dating, BL getting comfortable with each other at a snail's pace...and often taking two steps back. And it'll help you to know that I never write anything for no reason. I promise there will be chapters full of drama but it'll be random and might precede or follow something completely unrelated. And as for your second point, Brooke's not getting any slack because she didn't get it at this point in the show. :P be patient.

I wanted to thank everyone else who reviewed and added this story/me on your alerts lists. I still feel I need to get back into the BL groove but I'm going to keep updating regardless.

_Italics are thoughts._

**Enjoy, and please review!  
**

**

* * *

**Lucas wipes the counter of his mother's café for what must be the hundredth time that afternoon. Sighing in exhaustion, he leans on the counter and watches as the remaining customers of one of the busiest days he's ever worked sit and enjoy the rest of their meals. They were under staffed today, with Karen taking the day off to get ready for her chef training in Paris and Haley being sick, forcing an already fatigued Lucas to manage the café after a long night of homework. And as luck—or the lack there of—would have it, the entire town seemed to have decided to show up for coffee and fast food all at once.

Resting his head in his hands, he shuts his eyes to catch some rest and tries to relax his aching muscles, all the while trying desperately not to fall asleep right then and there.

But his relief lasts mere moments before the ringing of the door bell alerts him of another customer, and his body shoots up straight out of habit, ready to receive the order.

"Welcome to Karen's Café, what would you—Brooke? What're you doing here?"

Standing in front of him, perfect eyebrows kinked in amusement, is Tree Hill's Queen B giggling up a storm at whatever it is she'd found amusing.

"You started out so professional, Broody. What happened?"

He smiles sheepishly and shrugs. "Sorry. It's just that I always pictured you more of a Starbucks girl."

"There's no 'picturing' anything. You see me drink my S.B. every morning before class."

"Oh..." He mentally kicks himself for sounding like an idiot. And the look on her face tells him that she has no objections to the insult.

She tilts her head to the side. "What's wrong with you?"

He chuckles at the bluntness of her tone. "Nothing. Sorry, just tired." He pushes himself off the counter and stretches. "Can I get you anything?"

Brooke nods. "Yepp. I'd like one order of a slit-my-wrists-cause-i'm-a-tortured-artist, please."

He laughs. "Peyton's not here." The brunette pouts. "She's babysitting Jenny."

"_Again_?" She whines. "I swear she hangs out with that girl more than me now."

Lucas laughs. "You're jealous of a 9 month old?" She nods, pout still in full effect. "Brooke, she's only been babysitting Jenny for less than a week!"

The cheerleader groans and leans her head on the counter top, ignoring the way Lucas shakes his head in amusement.

"Why'd you need to see her?"

She looks up at him, sporting the most heart breaking puppy dog eyes he ever did see.

"We were supposed to go to the spa today."

He smiles politely. "Sorry, can't help you there."

Brooke smirks suggestively, looking him up and down with the obvious intent of making him uncomfortable.

"Oh, I don't know about that. I've seen how talented you could be with those hands."

Lucas eyes widen and the redness in his face causes Brooke to burst out into laughter.

"You're way too innocent, Scott. How has Peyton not corrupted you yet?"

He looks away and shrugs, shaking his head in amusement at her coyness. Her giggles subside as his embarrassment dulls, and when he next meets her eyes he feels an awkward tension prickle through the joyful atmosphere. A silence stretches on and it doesn't escape either of them that this is the first time they've hung out together without Peyton since...well, since _before _Peyton.

"So..." Brooke starts off awkwardly. "I'm gonna go...look for P. Sawyer."

"Okay, yeah. I'll...see ya around."

She gives him a look that makes him feel like kicking himself again, and turns to leave. Just before she heads out the door, she glances back and sends him a smile, which he returns. But she barely takes one step out the door before she whips back around and gawks in his direction.

Lucas looks at himself self-consciously before glancing back at her. He squints when he sees her facial expression. _Is she drooling?_

"Uh...did you forget something?" He asks nervously_. _

Brooke doesn't spare him a glance. "_That_'s _got _to be the most magnificent looking cake I've ever seen!" She exclaims out of nowhere, ignoring the strange looks her outburst received from surrounding customers and running back towards the counter. She puts her hands on the plastic cover protecting the mouth-watering dessert, eyes glued to the chocolate-y goodness that sat just beyond her reach.

Lucas chuckles at her excitement. "You really _were_ drooling," He says knowingly, receiving a glare from the overtly enthusiastic brunette.

"You want a piece?"

She pauses at the question. Although she stays in her spot, she bites her lips in contemplation before slowly pulling her hands away, shaking her head hesitantly.

"No." Her voice is much more confident than she looks.

Lucas squints in confusion. "No?"

She gulps and turns to look into his eyes.

"I can't."

"And why not?"

"Because. Because the Sparkle competition is only a month and a bit away and I have to get into shape in order to win."

He gawks at her. His eyes trail her body, head to toe and back again before he blinks back his shock.

"_Get _into shape?" He checks her out again. "But, Brooke, you're-" _Hot_, is what he impulsively wants to say. Although he's never been one to drool over girls, especially _cheerleader types_ like Brooke, he could never deny that she truly is a thing of beauty. Her curvaceous figure stands out in stark contrast to the flat and unhealthily skinny figures of the rest of the cheerleader population. _Except Peyton, _he reminds himself. He likes _her _tiny frame. And he'd heard the word "hot" become synonymous with the name Brooke Davis from practically every male body he'd met since he was in the seventh grade.

But he can't bring himself to say it. He doesn't know if he's just embarrassed to be so forward, or if it's because he's always considered the word to be discourteous to girls. But even though he's heard it said to her a million times, and he can tell from the look she's giving him that she expects it, he's never thought the word quite did her justice.

"But you're perfect." He says suddenly, unable to control his shock.

A raised eyebrow is his response. Brooke smirks up at him.

"Are you flirting with me, Scott?"

"Wha—n—_no!_" He says, flustered. Brooke doesn't even _try _to hide her amusement. "It's just that—I mean—You know that you're...really pretty."

Her eyes widen in surprise and he can see a faint blush appear on her cheeks. He frowns in confusion. He _knows_ that she's complemented about a hundred times a day; he doesn't understand why he's made her so uncomfortable.

The awkward tension is back. Brooke suddenly finds the counter-top much more interesting than she ever had before, and Lucas increasingly feels anxious the longer she avoids eye contact with him.

"I mean—well," He sighs in exhaustion and puts his hand on the back of his neck. He tries to think of a way to move passed the tension, but Brooke beats him to it.

"Well...whatever," She says suddenly, clearing her throat and standing up straight. "The fact is that it's a big...chunk of heavenly chocolaty evil that there's _no way _I can afford to add to my hips."

Happy to have her defiance back, Lucas persists in attempting to reason with her.  
"One piece is _not _going to do anything!"

"That's easy for you to say! Your girlfriend is the biggest bitch when it comes to not gaining weight. She can eat a fricken cake the size of a horse and she'll still have her skinny ass."

Lucas shakes his head and chuckles, realizing that there was no way he could convince her of the ridiculousness of her claim.

"Whatever you say."

She nods, satisfied that he'd relented, before her eyes involuntarily make their way back to the delectable sweet from Hell.

Lucas watches her in amusement continue to eye the dessert, barely suppressing her craving and mumbling to herself as she slowly loses the battle of will.

"Big evil chunk of...tasty...heavenly..." She shoots up. "No!" She says defiantly. "No. I can't."

She looks up at him with resolve. "I can do this, right? Chocolate is _not_ the boss of me." Lucas nods along, mockingly. She pauses again, looking anywhere but the cake before Lucas decides to step in.

"I'll tell you what." He says playfully. "How about you take just _one little piece_," he cuts and serves her the dessert. "And I promise I'll drive you to the gym later?"

She looks at him sceptically, eyes the cake wistfully, then returns her calculating gaze towards him.

"Promise?" She asks, sounding ever like a child.

Lucas tries desperately to hold in his laughter. "Cross my heart."

She glances back at him, and then to the piece of cake, trying to decipher whether or not she could trust him, and whether she could afford to risk the added weight, before she finally makes a decision.

She locks eyes with him. "If I do this, and my cheer outfit is even the _least _bit tighter, I will hunt you down and make you pay, understand?"

This time, he bursts out into laughter. "Duly noted," he mocks as his laughter dies down and he watches as she steels her resolve and picks up the fork.

Suddenly, she smiles; it's a genuine and simple smile, but her dimples are in full effect and her eyes are lit so brightly that Lucas actually forgets how to breathe for a second. She hops on a stool and pulls the plate towards her, lightly bouncing in delight as she begins to enjoy her favorite food in the whole-wide-world.

"Well, that's knew," he says before he can stop himself.

Brooke, who'd been thoroughly preoccupied with inhaling the delicious dessert, looks up at him in confusion.

"What is?"

He's squinting as he looks down at her, a thoughtful expression outlining his face. He tries to study her features closely, wondering why it is she doesn't smile like that more often, or whether anyone else has seen it before—he certainly can't remember ever seeing it before. And although he doesn't understand why it's affecting him so much, he can't help but want to see it again.

"It's just...I've never seen you smile like that before."

She sits up in shock, with her eyes wide and her mouth slightly hung open. Lucas notices he's made her uncomfortable, but this time he can't entirely say he's sorry for it.

"It's..." he half shrugs, "...nice."

"Um," Brooke tries to regain her ability to speak. "...Thanks."

She holds his gaze for a while longer before looking back down at her cake.

He watches her closely in anticipation, and when he sees that same smile grace her lips once more, and realizes that it was for _him_, he feels his heart flutter.

He steps back in shock.

_What the hell was that?_


	10. Apathy

**Disclaimer** - If I owned OTH, **[insert every BL lover's disclaimer here]**.

**Summary: **Sex in the City, BP style.

Just want to go on the record saying I hated the sequel.

Thanks for those who reviewed. XOX. Those of you who have this fic on alerts and favourites, I'd love to know what you think!

_Enjoy_.

* * *

"So how's the sex between you two, anyway?"

Peyton glances up from her sketchbook to glare at the jaunty brunette who is lying down on the spa table getting her legs professionally waxed.

"Besides not being the time or place," she glances at the waxing specialist who pointedly concentrates on her task. "It's none of your business."

"_Come_ _ooooon_, Goldilocks! You can't seriously leave me hanging here. Since he was top on _my _list of conquests when you went after him I at least deserve to _know_ what I'm missing out on!"

A ripping sound echos through the air, followed by a series of curses from the pained brunette.

"No, Brooke." Peyton dulls out, ignoring her friend's cries and going back to her sketching.

"Pleas—_motherfucker!_" She hisses in pain, gritting her teeth as she feels the specialist apply more hot wax.

"I suggest you take that as a cosmic sign to stop asking that question."

"Fine." Peyton glances at the brunette and catches her smile wickedly. "Then I guess I'll just have to find out for myself." She says with a smirk.

Peyton narrows her eyes before she reaches over and strips the cloth off the unsuspecting Brooke.

"Owwwwwwww!" She turns and glares daggers at the blond, who sits back and laughs with glee.

* * *

"_Now _will you tell me how the sex is?" Brooke asks again as the friends collapse on Peyton's bed after a long day at the spa.

Rolling her eyes, Peyton lays back next to the one constant in her life. She knows from experience that Brooke will push the topic until she's satisfied her curiosity. And she'd already accepted long ago that she could _never _win against the persistence of Brooke Davis.

"It's good," she offers.

Brooke stares at her. "Good?"

"Yes, Brooke. _Good_. I'm not going into more detail than that."

Hazel-green eyes blink at her. "Have you two even _had _sex?"

"Of course we did!"

"And it's just _good?_" She asks sceptically.

Throwing her hands up in frustration, Peyton gives in.

"For the love of—look, it's fantastic, alright? It's sex, it's always good!"

Brooke narrows her eyes at her. "Peyton, come on. I'm your best friend. What aren't you telling me?"

"Nothing."

"Was he a virgin?"

"No."

Her friend's eyes shoot open. "Wait, Lucas Scott wasn't a virgin? Who did he do it with? It couldn't be Tutor Girl."

Peyton shrugs. "Some girl named Faith."

"Oh..." Brooke somehow recognizes the name, but she couldn't put her finger on it.

"Does it bother you?" She asks after giving up on trying to put a face to the familiar name.

Her friend laughs. "No."

"Then why are you so _blah_ over this whole thing?"

Peyton rolls on her side and looks straight into her friend's eyes.

"We don't do it much," She says nonchalantly.

Perfectly plucked eyebrows arch in surprise. "You don't?"

"No. Lucas and I aren't exactly the most sex-crazed teens out there."

"Are you kidding? You were a fricken hyena when you were with Nathan."

Peyton scrunches her nose in confusion. "I don't see how that analogy works."

"You mean to tell me that you're dating _Lucas Scott_ and you're able to keep your hands off him?"

Peyton laughs. "Yep."

"Is he really that terrible?" She whines, disappointed.

Peyton shakes her head vigorously. "No. He's pretty good, actually."

She pouts. "Pretty good?"

The blond smirks. "He's better than some others I've had, that's for sure."

Brooke quirks her eyebrows. "Nathan?"

Peyton gives her a look. "I'm not comparing them."

"_Please?_"

"No, Brooke."

"So then Nathan's better?"

"I didn't say that."

"Well if he wasn't, you'd say s-"

"Brooke! They're the same, alright?"

She rolls her eyes. "As if. _No _two guys are the same."

"No, I'm serious. It's..." Peyton squints in thought. "It's not any...different. They're both amazing but it's just..." She trails off, deep in thought before she looks away.

Brooke, noticing her friend's discomfort, sits up on the bed and looks down at her. "Hey, what's going on with you?"

Peyton sighs and gives a half shrug. "Nothing. Look, I can't describe it. We just like to hang out."

Brooke takes her time to reply. "_Hang out_?"

"Yeah."

"Like...you and I hang out?"

"No. We debate music and art and stuff."

Brooke stares at her for a full minute.

"And he's still with you?" She says after a while. Her voice is full of incredulity and disbelief, a fact that the blond picks up on.

Peyton frowns. "Of course he is. Why wouldn't he be?"

The brunette stares at her friend in silence. She wasn't exactly experienced in the field of _dating, _but from what she'd seen with Peyton and Nathan and her parents, it heavily relied on physical activity to keep it together.

"Cause he's a guy." She states in a matter of fact tone.

Her friend rolls her eyes. "Not every guy expects constant sex." Picking up her sketch pad, Peyton begins to draw, effectively ending the conversation.

Brooke stays in her position and turns to look at the ceiling, thinking over their discussion in silence.

Once again, she realizes that Peyton has something that she considers enviable.


	11. Hope

**Disclaimer** - If I owned OTH, **[insert every BL lover's disclaimer here]**.

**Summary: **Brooke encourages Lucas to hope.

**B&L**

"And she was all like, why would anyone want to look in a horse's mouth? And I just gave up and walked away."

Peyton smirks up at her rambling best friend, who sits next to her in Lucas' pickup truck as they drive to the theater together.

"Bevin's a special one."

"Right? I just...I love her but sometimes I honestly can't believe the things that she says."

"I can't believe that _you _actually knew the right saying," Lucas joins in.

She glares at him and scowls at Peyton who bursts into laughter. "Who asked you?"

He half shrugs, trying to hide a smile as he watches Brooke pout and fall back in her seat.

Peyton rolls her eyes at Lucas and looks up to view her surroundings.

"Hey, isn't this your street?" She asks, noticing the familiar neighborhood.

"Yeah. I'm just going to pick something up real quick." He parks in his drive way and hops out of his seat.

"I'll be back in five." He says, rushing into the house and leaving the girls sitting in his car.

Thirty seconds pass in which the girls sit in comfortable silence before Brooke turns to her blond counterpart.

"I say we've waited long enough. Wanna go see if he needs help fighting off a burglar?"

"Yeah, cause I'm sure we'd be a _big_ help."

Brooke slaps her on the thigh. "Lets just go!"

Brooke skips over to Lucas' back door and barges in without so much as a knock.

"Broody!" She yells out when she finds his room empty. She glances back at Peyton when she doesn't hear anything.

"That's strange." The blond comments.

"You don't think there's really a burglar, do you?" Brooke asks in fear.

Peyton gives her a look. "It's broad daylight outside."

"So? That's what the _smart_ guys would do. Everyone expects them to come at night. No one would suspect—"

"Brooke?" Lucas' voice breaks through her fatalist rant.

"Broody! Hey! We were—uh, we got bored."

He turns to Peyton in confusion.

"You just missed Brooke have her very own Bevin moment." She drawls out, bending over as a sharp pain in the form of Brooke's elbow connects with her ribs.

Lucas gives them a weird look, but decides not to ask.

"Uhh...okay. Well, I got what I wanted, so—"

"Lucas? Who's here?" An older man with a gruffly beard walks in and surveys the room. He looks at the two girls before turning towards his nephew.

"Now, Lucas. I know that guys your age like to experiment, but take it from me, juggling two pretty girls at once is certain suicide."

A split second of silence is all that is spared before Brooke bursts into hysterics and Peyton purses her lips in amusement, neither girls giving even the slightest bit of sympathy to the mortified Lucas who groans in embarrassment.

"Hi, Keith." Peyton says politely.

"Ah. Not Mr. Scott, this time." He turns to Lucas. "Your girlfriend's finally catching on."

Peyton smiles shyly. Keith focuses his attention on the brunette stranger who is still giggling up a storm.

"And who might you by?"

"Oh!" Lucas starts suddenly. "Uh-Keith, this is-"

"Brooke Davis." The self-proclaimed diva bounces up to him and shakes his hand confidently. Keith notes it's a decidedly different reaction than his nephew's girlfriend had the first time they met.

"Ah. The infamous best friend."

She grins up at him. "So you've heard about me?" She winks at Lucas. "Only good things, I hope."

Keith sends a knowing look at his nephew. "Of course."

Peyton, noticing the exchange between her boyfriend and his uncle, frowns in confusion.

"Uh, Luke. Can I talk to you for a minute?"

All three other occupants look up at her in silence.

"Uhh...sure. Keith, could you..."

"Of course. Brooke would you like something to drink?"

There's a pause as she locks eyes with her best friend, who nods to reassure her everything is fine.

"Sure," She says. Turning to follow Keith, she glances at Lucas. "Could we have hot chocolate?"

Lucas smiles as he watches her leave his bedroom. He turns to his girlfriend and is met with a scowl as she stands with her arms crossed against her chest. His smile drops.

"What?"

"What was that look between you and Keith just now?"

"Huh?"

"Right when Brooke asked if he'd heard good things about her, Keith gave you a look. What was that about?"

Lucas sighs and holds the back of his neck. "Oh that."

"Yeah. What are you saying to your uncle about Brooke?"

"Nothing! Anymore. Look-come on, Peyton. You know Brooke and I weren't exactly best friends at first."

She's silent for a moment before she relaxes, a worried expression forming on her face. "Does it bother you that Brooke is hanging out with us?"

He shrugs. "It used to. A lot, actually. But honestly," He glances back at the door when he hears the sounds of Brooke and Keith's loud laughter. "I think I might be getting used to her."

She gives him a look. "That's a scary thought."

"Tell me about it." He smiles. "So are we good?"

She's silent for a moment, and Lucas worries that she was still angry with him.

"Look, I'm sorry okay? It's just that Brooke was really acting out these past few weeks and I just needed to vent to Keith. I didn't actually mean any of the stuff I said."

His girlfriend sighs. "Just promise you won't say anything bad about her anymore."

"I haven't for quite a while now, actually."

She holds his gaze a moment before she smiles and nods.

"Okay. Now, lets go save your uncle from her 101 questions."

Lucas laughs and follows her out. As soon as they open the door, they can clearly hear the conversation from the kitchen.

"So, do you have any sisters?" Keith asks.

Brooke shakes her head. "Nope. Well—Peyton. But not like, _sister_ _sister_." She smiles. "Which is a good show."

Keith squints. "I think I lost you."

Brooke studies him intently, before her eyes light up and she bounces on her chair, pointing excitedly at Keith's face. "THAT'S where he gets it from!"

"Okay now I've _definitely _lost you."

"Broody! You do the same squinty thing as he does."

"What squinty thing?" Lucas asks, making his presence known.

Keith turns. "Hey! Luke! Brooke and I were just talking about your childhood."

"I asked him to show me the baby pictures but apparently that's only reserved for the _girlfriends_." She says with a pout.

Peyton laughs and looks at Lucas. "You'll be happy to know that I'm _not_ interested."

"That's because you're no fun, Goldilocks."

The curly blond shrugs. "Ready to go? We're gonna be late for the movie."

Brooke jumps from her seat. "I was waiting on you," she sing songs.

"Well, I have to head out anyway. I have some more work to do in the garage."

"Do you need any help?" Lucas asks.

Keith waves his hands. "Don't worry about it. You kids have fun." He smiles at Brooke. "It's nice to meet you, Brooke." He waits for her dimpled smile before he steps out.

As soon as he leaves, Brooke turns to Lucas and squeals.

"He's _totally_ into your mom!" She bursts cheerfully.

The blonds' shocked expressions are identical. "Brooke!"

"I can tell! Seriously, he is like, mad-out-crushed on her. And he's been by her side since you were born and going against his own family for her _awwwwwwwwwwwwee_." She gushes.

Peyton steps in in an attempt to save her boyfriend from the embarrassment.

"Brooke." She hisses. "That is _none_ of your business. And you're freaking him out!"

The girls turn to the awe-struck Scott, who has yet to say anything.

"What? _Luuuuukkkee, _don't tell me that bothers you! He's been more of a dad to you than Devil Dan!"

"Brooke-"

"-And he obviously cares about you and your mom and if I'm right then it should make you happy, right?" Lucas doesn't say anything. "You'll have a family!" She pushes. Lucas looks at her, eyes desperate and almost pleading. He can't understand why its so important for her that he'd be as excited as she is.

Before he could respond, Peyton rolls her eyes.

"He already _has _a family." She drawls out. "Now come on, we're going to be late for the movie." Effectively ending the conversation, she turns to exit the house.

A dejected Brooke sighs and starts to follow, but as soon as Peyton walks out the door, Lucas pulls Brooke back.

"Brooke wait!" He pulls her towards him and glances up at Peyton to make sure she's out of ear shot. He bends lower to get closer to Brooke, and like a child he tries futily to hide his excitement as he whispers, "You really think he likes her?"

Her eyes widen for a fraction of a second before a small smile forms on her face, and her eyes soften as she nods.

**_Later that night..._**

Keith and Lucas sit comfortably in the living room, enjoying their respective novels.

"She doesn't seem half bad, you know." Keith says suddenly.

Lucas looks up from his book to squint at his uncle. "Who?"

"Brooke. She's not as bad as you made her out to be."

Lucas' eyes trail around the living room and fall on a picture of himself, his mom, and Keith in the park. A small smile plays on his lips as he feels hope burst inside him.

"No. I guess she's not."


	12. Free To Be You and Me

**Disclaimer** - If I owned OTH, **[insert every BL lover's disclaimer here]**.

**Summary: **Peyton realizes her new boyfriend has more in common with her ex than she cares for.**  
**

**A/N: **I wrote this after re-watching the first few episodes of S1 OTH. Characterizations are based on the way they were written then.

* * *

"So, what do you wanna do today?"

It was Thursday evening, and Lucas and Peyton planned on spending it together for some much needed alone time. They'd immediately gone to her room, and were now lounging around comfortably trying to decide on what they would do for the rest of the day.

His girlfriend shrugs in response, plopping herself on her elbows as she lays in bed.

"Wanna go to the Rivercourt?"

She gives him a look. "I think I'll pass, thanks."

He laughs. "Come on. I'll introduce you to the guys. You'll love them."

Peyton nods absentmindedly. "Look, why don't we just stay in tonight and then we'll go to meet the guys some other time? I have this kick ass CD I want you to check out." She gets up from her position and walks towards her music collection.

Lucas squints. "Why don't you want to go to the rivercourt?"

Sighing, she places the record back in its place before turning to face him.

"It's just that," She tries to think of a meaningful way to describe how she feels. "I'm surrounded by basketball all the time in school. It's not exactly my favourite thing, you know? I just want a break from it all."

"Look, let's just go for a couple of hours and then we'll come back and listen to that CD. What do you say?"

She rolls her eyes at his persistence, missing his frown. "Luke, I know you love the game. But...I don't, okay?" He looks hurt, and although she feels a bit guilty, she's more frustrated. "Watching a bunch of guys run and jump just to work up a sweat is not my thing."

"You cheerlead for the team!"

"Well then I guess I'm just a mystery." She deadpans.

Gritting his teeth, he tries using another tactic to convince her. "Look, that place is important to me."

"It's a _basketball _court."

"It's more than that. It's a place where I could always go to let go." Her look of indifference makes him desperate. "I know that if you go there, you'll love it just as much as I do. Just let me show you."

"I've already been there." She shoots back, staring blankly at him as they both remember the infamous game between the two Scott brothers.

"Well, yeah-but that doesn't count. You've never seen it...in my element."

Her look is dry, and it makes him feel like an idiot. "Your element." She mocks.

"Yeah. When I play basketball there-I feel completley relaxed and in control. Nothing can touch me while I'm on that court."

She stares at him and does everything she can not to roll her eyes. _He sounds just like Nathan._ Worse-he sounds like the girls in the squad that think cheer leading is the most important thing in the world.

"You play for the team at school."

"It's not the same. Nathan makes my life hell on that team and you know it."

She scoffs at the mention of her ex-boyfriend. "Well then stand up for yourself."

He frowns, feeling an irrational blow to his ego. "I do."

She doesn't reply. She crosses her arms and looks off to the side, face set in a permanent scowl.

"Could we _please_ just go?" He begs again, hoping to win her over by his persistence.

But she doesn't budge.

"Why is this so important to you, anyway?" She drawls out, trying not to sound condescending. "It's just a sport." She really couldn't understand these boys' fascination with the game. _It's not like it'll change anyone's life._ She understands why they would see it as a hobby, but to place so much weight on something so pointless is completely shallow. To obsess with it, as they did, was to ignore the things that mattered in life-things like art, and music. Things that _mean something._

But by the hurt look in his eyes, she realizes that he didn't exactly agree with her opinion. And little by little - although her resentment of the sport and his plea was still going strong - guilt settles in.

Just as he's about to turn and leave, she sighs in defeat.

"Fine." She monotones, looking none too thrilled. Lucas turns back. "We'll go."

And just like that, his eyes light up and an appreciative smile blesses his face. Peyton stares at him and silently resents him even more._ It's __**just **a sport. __  
_

He extends his hands out for her to take it. _She's going to love it_. He knows she is. And he's so excited to show her off to his friends that he almost misses it when she grabs her sketchpad and dumps it in her bag.

Immediately, his smile turns into a frown.

"What's wrong?" She asks, noticing his expression.

"Uh...nothing," He trails off, deciding not to say anything that could get them into another fight.

She smiles at him and they make their way to his car.

* * *

They drive up to the rivercourt to see the guys already playing a game. It's pretty late in the evening, and the sun is just in its final stage of setting. The view is so breath taking, so brilliant, yet neither blond notices it.

Lucas guides her towards the court, smiling as his friends turn to him.

"Yo, Luke! Nice of you to finally join us!"

"Don' be expectin' him to come 'round here no more. Ma man's too big for us now dat he's with the big leagues, ain't you, Luke?"

Lucas rolls his eyes. "That joke never gets old, Junk."

"Woo! Damn dog, you're spicin' up our court! First Brooke Davis now Peyton Sawyer? Now I know why I hang witchu."

The guys laugh. Peyton turns to him with a confused smile.

"Brooke came here?"

Lucas frowns in thought. He completely forgot about that. "Uh, yeah. She came by a couple of times before we got together."

Peyton frowns in confusion. "Brooke hates basketball."

Lucas looks at her, suddenly feeling uncomfortable but not quite understanding why.

"She didn't tell me that." He says slowly as a strange thought whispers in the back of his mind.

"Yo, Luke!" His friend's voice cuts through the awkward conversation. "You playin or what?"

Lucas looks at Peyton, who sends him a small nod before watching him run over to his team mates. She makes her way to the bench and sits next to a scrawny boy holding a microphone.

"Hi. I'm Mouth." He says, extending his hand.

Peyton shakes it. "Peyton Sawyer." She smiles kindly.

He reciprocates with a laugh. "I know."

She frowns at him in confusion.

"You're kind of a big deal around here."

Her frown deepens. "How come?"

Mouth smiles shyly. "Because of Lucas."

Peyton glances up at her boyfriend, watching him effortlessly weave across his opponents towards the basket. The emotions she feels are contradictory and not completely rational. At first she's flattered; happy that he sees something in her worth paying attention to. But then she feels...pressured; as though she has to live up to some perception that she herself doesn't entirely understand. The pressure leads to cynicism, because the _girl crush_ went against everything she stood for. That spot is reserved for those girls whose lives were so simple and perfect that their priorities consisted of attracting and impressing boys. Peyton Sawyer is _nothing_ like them and the thought of Lucas seeing her as such threatens the very identity she's built for herself.

Suddenly, she's angry. Furious even. She hates the fact that Lucas talks about her to his friends. Immediately, she wonders how much he's told them. Has he said anything about her art? Her mom? The thought makes her anger intensify. She hates the idea that a group of strangers even _know_ about her. She's not some shallow slut like the rest of the high school female population, constantly looking for attention. She's deeper than that—she understands more than they'll ever see.

She looks away from him and sighs, pointedly ignoring Mouth's attempts at starting up a conversation. Just as suddenly as the anger hit, boredom replaces it. She looks around the asphalt of the basketball court and wonders why she even agreed to come in the first place. She's hated basketball and everything associated with it ever since she watched Nathan torture himself over it. Sure, she enjoys the paradox of hating the sport she cheers for, but beyond the enigma it produces for her image, she couldn't stand the way the guys—mainly Nathan and now his brother—obsessed over it when it was such a useless and simple venture.

Sighing, the dejected blond takes out her sketchpad and begins to draw.

* * *

Lucas makes his fourth straight shot in a row. The boys cheer around him and he smiles brightly, turning to his girlfriend in a juvenile need to see her proud smile. He frowns when his eyes land on a mass of curly blond hair, which is all he can see of his bent over girlfriend as she sketches in her book. Mouth continues to commentate into his microphone, completely detached from Peyton's presence.

The forming thought trickles back into his consciousness, and his mind supplies the memory of a petite brunette who'd surprised him by showing up at that very bench. This brunette had returned his appreciative smile with a shy one; she'd conversed and laughed with Mouth, often commentating in her own suggestive way; she'd cheered at all of his baskets, and even managed to get Mouth to do a cheer routine with her for the boys' entertainment. This brunette—his mind doesn't supply a name—made an effort to engage with his friends, made her presence known and felt and contributed to what had turned out to be a fantastic afternoon.

His eyes refocus on his girlfriend—a blond—as she continues to sketch, lost in her own little world.

He gulps, feeling uneasy, and turns back to the game.

* * *

-tbc-

**R&R**


	13. Family Portrait

**Disclaimer** - If I owned OTH, **[insert every BL lover's disclaimer here]**.

**Summary: **Larry is back, prompting Lucas and Brooke to discuss the importance of family.

**A/N**: So, I have this strange memory of Lucas saying something to Peyton about Larry...i used the sentence in this chapter but I suddenly am not sure if it was ever said...anyways.

I don't think I got the characters in this chapter right. For that, I apologize. I also accidentally updated the fic a couple of days ago with the wrong chapter. I deleted it as soon as I realized but FF still reposted. Sorry for that as well.

* * *

**Family Portrait**

The return of Larry Sawyer had an impact on all three participants of the Lucas and Peyton relationship.

For Peyton, his return completely altered her pessimistic and dry persona. Having her loving father back by her side brought out the vibrant girl she once was for all the world to see.

Brooke Davis was as excitable and suggestive as always. Enjoying the easy going nature of her recently elated best friend, she immersed herself in the midst of the reunion, trying to salvage the feeling of being part of the only family she's ever really known.

For Lucas Scott, however, the feelings were mixed. He loved to see the positive change in his girlfriend's demeanour and mood. But by default, her happiness at the presence of her father explained her usual brooding and apathy towards life, and Lucas found himself resenting the man for leaving his family alone and miserable for as long as he did. Although he enjoyed spending time with Larry, who shared his tastes in literature and love of the abstract, he couldn't understand why anyone would be willing to abandon their loved ones without a second thought. And more so, he wondered why they couldn't see how much their absence hurt the ones they left behind.

Sitting side by side on the Sawyer living room couch, the boyfriend and the best friend leave Peyton to have some time alone with her dad, who'd come down for the weekend to visit his only daughter. Lucas opted to read a book while Brooke decided to give herself a pedicure. They sit in comfortable silence until Lucas decides to voice his inner thoughts.

"Poor Peyton," he sighs as he watches her chat animatedly to her father in the kitchen.

Brooke quirks her eyebrows. "How come?"

Her nonchalant attitude bothers Lucas, but he quickly hides his incredulity, having decided to try and give her the benefit of the doubt more than he had before.

"She's so lonely." He explains patiently. "I don't know how she even gets up in the morning."

She bites her lip. "What makes you say that?"

He gives her a look. "Brooke ..."

"What? The whole 'people always leave' thing she's got going on?"

He frowns at her. "Yes, that _thing _she's got going on." He sighs and looks up to see his girlfriend laughing with her father as they whip pancake batter in a bowl. They were having pancakes for dinner - Brooke's idea, of course.

"I just don't understand why he doesn't see that it's hurting her when he's away."

He looks up to see that she'd returned her attention back to painting her toe nails, and although he told himself he wouldn't judge her, he's disappointed to see her lose interest in her friend's happiness so quickly.

"He tried to stay, you know," she says suddenly.

Lucas looks up at her. She's still concentrating on her nails, now blowing on the applied polish to help it dry.

"After Anna died—that's Peyton's mama—he moved back to take care of Peyt. He left when we were, like, thirteen or something. Um, money was tight, I guess. And he needed the job...he was going to take her with him."

He frowns. "Why didn't he?"

She shrugs. "I guess he didn't want to uproot her from the only thing she's known. You might've noticed - but Peyton isn't exactly _the _most stable girl in town. Besides," She says in afterthought. "I doubt our P. Sawyer would've enjoyed life as a sailor much."

He knows she's being sarcastic, but watching her talking to her father, with so much energy and so much excitement, he's not so sure. He's never seen his girlfriend look so happy.

"He loves her." Brooke continues, following his line of sight and watching the only example of a real family she's ever been privy to witness. "And she knows he does."

Lucas repositions himself on the couch. "Well...maybe that's not enough."

"That's more than many people get."

He spares her a glance, but neglects to answer.

"I just wish there was something I can do, you know?" He sighs in agitation. "I wish I could just...make Dan disappear in exchange for Larry to be with her more. Maybe even-"

"You don't mean that." She says forcefully.

He squints up at her. "What?"

"You-you can't _wish_ for your dad to disappear." she shakes her head. "Not genuinely."

"I can and I do." His tone is harsh and final. "And he's not my anything."

She stares at him with an unreadable expression. At least, he doesn't bother to read it; the only thing he cares about is that it _isn't_ pity.

"But...he's your family."

Lucas shuts his eyes but doesn't answer.

"I mean...do you ever...hope?"

"There's nothing to hope for."

"Oh, come on. Stop being such a brooder." She tries to lighten the mood, but from the agitated way he clenched his jaw, she figures it's best to keep things serious. "There's always hope." Although she was trying to reassure him, the sentence comes out more as a question.

"I used to think so. But eventually I gave up on it. I know better now."

Her body goes rigid and she starts shaking her head furiously. "No. You're wrong. He could one day just realize he's making a mistake and then decide he wants you in his life. He'll come an-and teach you how to ride your bike and will be there at your first game-"

"It's a little too late for that, Brooke."

She sighs, and her body visibly relaxes. "But, don't you wish for his love? Or his attention at least?" When he doesn't answer once again, she shakes her head and looks away. "You shouldn't give up."

Lucas shrugs. "I haven't." At her look of confusion, he elaborates. "I have Keith." He looks up at her and smiles softly, remembering how she'd pointed out his uncle's presence in his life, and his feelings for his mother. But he's shocked to see a crestfallen look in place of the knowing gleam he'd expected.

Her eyes trail away from him towards her hands. Idly, she starts twiddling her thumbs. "Must be nice." She says in a low tone. Lucas looks at her in confusion. Did she sound...sad?

"Yeah, maybe that's enough." Her voice shakes as she turns and locks eyes with him. "It is, isn't it?"

It takes him a while to form the words. "It's more than enough."

Brooke peers at him sceptically. The Sawyer family laughter echoes distantly in the back of both their minds.

"Really?" She asks suspiciously.

Lucas pulls away from her. Her questions bothered him. Although he was used to being asked about his feelings over Dan he wasn't used to them being this inquisitive. They'd never forced him to remember memories he'd worked hard to bury throughout his childhood.

Shaken, the abandoned son frowns and looks away to hide the wave of emotions he was feeling.

"You wouldn't understand." He says more tersely than he means to.

Her body goes rigid, and she's silent again. She watches him for a moment, knowing all the things he must be feeling, all the hurt he must've endured in the past, and her heart breaks-for the both of them.

Lucas hears her sigh and get up from her place next to him.

"You're right." Her voice becomes more upbeat than it had been during the conversation. "I'm just being nosey, I guess. Sorry, being friends with Peyton for this long makes me think I'm ready to be anyone's psychiatrist."

His frustration ebbs away at her comment. It was such a _Brooke_ thing to say that he can't help but smile despite the slight to his girlfriend.

She hesitates for a moment, trying to decide if she could say what was on her mind without upsetting him. Lucas looks up at her with curiosity, a look that she takes as an invitation.

"You shouldn't worry, you know." When his eyes squint in confusion, she decides to elaborate. "About Peyton, I mean. She might seem fragile, but she's got more people looking out for her than you'd think."

His eyes soften, and he nods in recognition.

"Hey guys!" Peyton's voice breaks the moment. "The pancakes are ready!"

Brooke's eyes brighten at the news, and she turns to Lucas with the biggest smile he'd ever seen, her deep dimples in full swing.

"Tell me you've tried pancakes with ice cream and nutella!" She squeals in delight.

Lucas laughs. "Can't say that I have."

"Well then we'll have to fix that, won't we? I'll go make you one!" And with an overenthusiastic clap, she trots away to the kitchen, not bothering to ask him whether or not he _fancied_ pancakes with ice cream and nutella.

He shakes his head, laughing at her excitement as she bounces towards the kitchen. As soon as she's out of sight, his mind trickles back to their conversation, and his smile slowly fades away.

**_Don't you wish for his love? _**

_Dan has done nothing but make his and his mother's life miserable. He's taunted them, he's abused them, he's neglected them._

**_He could realize he wants you in his life!_**

_He's an evil, selfish man. He'll never change. He'll never be sorry._

**_You shouldn't give up._**

_He'll never change._

His thoughts are interrupted by the sound of Peyton laughing as her father ruffles her hair. He focuses his attention on Larry, noticing the way his eyes light up with pride and love as he stares down at his only daughter, the most important thing in the world to him.

_Dan will never change._

But Lucas wishes he would.

_

* * *

_

**_R&R_**

**brucasfanatic**

p.s. I'd really love a beta!**_  
_**


	14. Silhouette

**Disclaimer** - If I owned OTH, **[insert every BL lover's disclaimer here]**.

**A/N:** I haven't been updating in forever because I stopped really obsessing over BL. I'm sorry, I enjoy writing but I can't keep going if I don't feel close to the characters. But my obsession keeps rearing it's ugly (or not) head every couple of months, so I'll always be back. I'm still a bit _eh_ on the characterisations, so forgive me. I think I did better than last chapter, though. I worked on this chapter for a good week, because it was so incredibly difficult for me to write the setting in detail. See, some people are able to visualize frozen images in their heads, and can pick up every detail and can literally paint a picture in our heads with their descriptions. These people are also usually the better artists, I find. And then there are those who visualize scenes in real time, and rather than the detail of the settings, like the colour of the horizon, or the complexity of a furnished hallway, instead try and convey the actions, reactions, effects and thoughts behind the story. I find that kind of thought process works best in directing. Of course there are those who are quite amazing at both and are prominent geniuses like the incomprable Peter Jackson. I however fall completely into the second category, and so found this chapter ridiculously difficult to write because the story is _in _the setting. I don't think i did as well as I had hoped but I'm so tired of writing it so I'm posting it anyway. Gonna go ahead and _never do this again._

Anyhoo, enjoy.

Thanks for those who reviewed my last chapter(s). *kisses*

**Title**: Silhouette**  
Summary: **If a picture can speak a thousand words, how deafening is the silence bare walls make?

* * *

"And what about this one?" Lucas points to the picture on the wall of a younger version of his girlfriend, mounted on her father's back holding a stick and wearing what appeared to be a magician's outfit.

"Oh, _God!" _Peyton scrunches her face in embarrassment at the picture. What had started off as a quiet dinner with just the three of them had turned into a rambunctious trip down the Sawyer family memory lane.

Larry laughs at his daughter's embarrassment. Taking the picture off the wall, he looks joyfully at his precious little girl beaming towards the camera.

"This is when Peyton went through her magic phase. She found that stick in the park one day and declared it her very own magical wand. My little girl could put on quite a show."

After he recovers from his laughter, Lucas nods at his girlfriend. "I can see that. The top hat was an excellent touch."

"Shut up! Dude! I was _seven_! And it was the 90s!"

"That explains it."

"She used to force me to be her personal assistant."

"Bet you enjoyed that."

"You'd be surprised at how demanding she was. It was like I was a victim of slave labour at the hands of my own daughter."

"Brooke was rubbing off on me by that point."

Larry chuckles. "Tell me about it. You called yourself The Amazing Sporty Spice."

Lucas, who'd been drinking his water, spits out the liquid. "You _what_?"

"Ugh! I should've burned this one years ago! That is not a time of my life I want to remember."

"You remember the mouse?"

Peyton covers her face with her hands and groans. "Oh _man, _no!"

Her father bursts out into laughter. Lucas looks between the two, laughing along with them. "What? What about the mouse?"

* * *

Driving home that night, Lucas smiles at the memories he was lucky enough to share with his girlfriend's family. Seeing Peyton so happy and carefree was one of the greatest feelings he'd ever experienced, and he hoped this new side of her would continue in the long run. It was amazing how this girl who thought she was so alone in the world, was surrounded by so many people who loved her.

As he drives past the beach on his usual route to his house, a silver buggy parked on the side of the road catches his eye. It's late, and few cars are out on the road, let alone parked along the beach. He frowns when he recognizes the car, and when he realizes who it belongs to, his neck starts to tingle with worry. He half-hazardously parks his truck on the side of the road and jumps out to look into the vehicle for any sign of the familiar brunette. When he doesn't see her, he looks up into the darkness of the vast beach and panics when he can't immediately see her.

He walks cautiously towards the ocean, the eerie calm of the beach pierced by the crashing of the waves putting him on edge. He spots her on the other side, a long way away from her parked car, with her silhouette sharpened by the strength of the full moon: her arms are flailing wildly as she runs towards the receding shore and retreats as the waves rush back towards her, that contagious giggle somehow managing to carry across despite the roaring of the waves.

As he gets closer to her, his eyes catch sight of a bottle clutched in her right hand. Instinctively, he knows it's alcohol.

Somehow sensing that she was not alone, Brooke looks up at her intruder. Although he can barely make out her features in the darkness, he imagines her face light up at the sight of him.

"Broody!" she says happily, starting to skip over towards him before stumbling. Lucas instinctively closes the distance between them, holding a steady hand under her forarm to keep her stable as she barely manages to keep her footing.

Not giving any thought to her almost falling face first in the dirt, Brooke looks up at him and starts to bounce in her spot.

"I _knew _you didn't hate the beach!" She throws her arms around him and he has no choice but to wrap his around her waist to steady her. "I was _soooo_ worried cause I thought that this was _another_ example of how freakishly similar you are with Peyton!" Her voice is naturally amplified by her impaired sense of awareness, so it didn't help that she felt it was necessary for her to _scream._ "Like twins! And then you would be dating your twin. Which is just..." she scrunches her nose in disgust. "Weird."

Lucas almost smiles at this. Her mannerisms are so childlike and her rambling so unique to her character that normally he would find himself shaking his head in amusement. But the strong smell of burning alcohol on her breath keeps him from getting caught up in her particular type of charm.

"Brooke, what are you doing here?" It's half past eleven, on a _school night. _Lucas knew that Brooke was a party girl and had much more liberty than he could ever wish for. But even she had to have some sort of curfew.

She shrugs, and looks off to the side before turning back to him.

"Come on!" She grabs his hands and pulls him towards the beach. As soon as they hit the shore she starts twirling and jumping around like a child who'd just discovered the joy of being in the water. After a moment she stops and looks up at her only companion, who stands to the side watching her with a weary expression. "Why are you being so broody, Broody?"

Lucas squints with worry, not understanding how someone would be so irresponsible with their safety. He didn't know how long she'd been here before he found her, but the thought of what would have happened had someone else found her here alone, inebriated and in one of her signature revealing outfits is enough to make him feel increasingly tense.

"It's getting late, Brooke. We should get you home."

Brooke shakes her head furiously. "No. I don't want to go home." Her pout is so adorable that Lucas allows himself a hint of a smile. "I want to stay _here_." She kicks the water for emphasis before noticing something that causes her to burst into laughter.

"I got your pants wet!" She laughs gleefully. Lucas looks down at his soaked cargo pants and groans. He's going to have to come up with a good explanation for his mother about why he was so late passed his curfew. Somehow, he doubted she would be sympathetic if his excuse is that he'd been spending time on the beach with a drunk girl in the middle of the night.

Accepting the inevitability of his being grounded, Lucas looks up to see Brooke begin to twirl in her deliciously carefree way. Abruptly, she stops. Chest heaving with exhaustion, she stares into the darkness of the ocean before deciding to lay down on the sand and catch her breath. Lucas observes her for a moment before sighing and following her lead.

"How could Peyton hate the beach so much?" She says after a short period of silence. Lucas has the distinct feeling she was talking to herself.

"The wind, the view, the sound of the waves...It drowns out the silence." She takes a deep breath and sits back up, holding her arms up as she lets the wind push past her. Lucas watches her hair lift around her face. "It's so peaceful." Her voice is drowned by the wind, but he thinks he hears a hint of sadness in her tone.

Brooke turns to him, as though suddenly remembering his presence.

"Do you like the beach?" She asks innocently, before taking another gulp of the liquid poison still clutched in her hands.

Lucas shrugs, looking off into the vast darkness of the ocean. "I don't not like it." He concedes, not wanting to tell her that he loves the peace that comes with it as well.

He turns and is shocked to see her looking at him. There's a pained expression in her eyes and the intensity of it makes him uncomfortable.

Just as suddenly, the look is gone, and she turns back to drowning herself in the bottle.

"Brooke...are you okay?"

She looks at him, stunned. A second later and she's laughing hysterically. Lucas shakes his head. _You're imagining it,_ he tells himself. He couldn't think of any reason _why_ Brooke Davis would look so sad. He eyes the way she greedily gulps down the alcohol and remembers learning in health class about the liquid being a depressive.

"Give me that." He reaches for the bottle and she jerks away, losing her balance and falling over to the side. Lucas sighs and reaches over her, smelling the gentle scent of peaches wafting from her skin before pulling the bottle out of her hand and throwing it on the side, knowing that someone would pick it up and probably drink it later on that night.

"Come on," He says as he picks her up. Brooke throws her arms around his neck and leans into him, giggling. He sighs, and his voice softens despite himself. "Let's get you home."

* * *

He's never been to her house before.

He'd called Peyton and told her that he'd found Brooke at the beach, informing the blonde of the state of her friend. His girlfriend gave him Brooke's address and told him to take her there, promising to meet him as soon as she could.

And that's how he found himself standing in front of the largest house he's ever seen in his life. He can't even be sure it _is_ a house. It's so large that it had to be at least five houses fit together in a single complex. He looks down at the sleeping girl in his arms, and feels the inklings of resentment manifesting towards her. She has absolutely _everything_. She never has to worry about money or being accepted. She's been handed down everything in life and she just wastes away her time drinking and partying. Shaking his head in frustration, he decides that he isn't going to wait for Peyton, and rings the doorbell. He needs to teach her that she couldn't just do whatever the hell she wanted and not have to deal with the consequences. And even if all he can do is get her grounded for a week or two by her parents, he would take it.

He rings the door bell again and waits patiently. But there is no answer. He rings again and when he's still standing outside the red door way a few minutes later he positions Brooke on his arms so he could bang on the door. But still, no one answers.

"What're you doing?" He turns around to see his girlfriend looking at him strangely.

"I was trying to get someone to open the door."

Peyton gives him a look. "No one's home, dude."

He frowns, glancing at the enormous house. "She has this place all to herself?" He asks, not being able to keep the resentment out of his voice.

Peyton chooses to remain silent, opting instead to pick up the key that was located in a hidden latch behind the door light. Opening the door and walking in, she flicks the lights on and instructs Lucas to walk up the stairs. Nodding, her boyfriend makes his way up the spiral steps, but not before taking in his surroundings.

Elaborate chandeliers hang from the ceiling. Crystal vases of all shapes and sizes stand elegantly on top of Royal Oak tables, adorned with sophisticated flower patterns that perfectly complemented the Victorian style furniture. It was like the scenes he'd imagine when reading a Jane Austin novel, in her descriptions of estates of glamour and high status, where the elite would dine and throw extravagant balls while the masses starved to death in their own filth just a few streets away.

And yet...the surreality of it didn't have the effect he'd expect. It didn't take his breath away or intensify his jealousy at the obvious inequality with which they lived. Instead, it put him on edge. Even with all the furniture, the house felt empty. Cold and pristine, as though he'd stepped into a scenic portrait rather than a home to a family. The same feeling remained as he climbed the stairs. The simple white paint of the walls succeeded in exaggerating the size of the residence and left it feeling hollow, abandoned. Lucas felt the hairs on his forearms stand on end as his body tensed, and he instinctively tightens his hold of the sleeping brunette.

The shift he feels when he enters Brooke's room is enough to pronounce just how eerie the rest of the house was. The warmth that radiated from the ivory hue of the walls stood in stark contrast to the static that lay just outside its door. He walks in and gently places her on the bed he can't help but notice is twice the size of his own, and pulls the covers around her. He looks around the spacious walls of her room and his jealousy continues to amplify. It had to be at least three times the size of his room, which looked like a jail cell when compared to the spacious quarters of the Queen B. of Tree Hill. The first things he notices are the most obvious: a 70" wide screen tv set with its own stereo system stood against the wall, the balcony opened out to a gorgeous view of the town, the doors of her walk in closet open to reveal an overflow of shoes, clothes and accessories that could provide for the entire town five times over. Lucas never considered himself a materialistic individual, but to see first hand how easy _they _had it, and how little _they _appreciated it, proved to him just how unjust the world was.

Shaking his head in disappointment, Lucas turns to the girl who had it all, when he spots a chain sticking out from beneath Brooke's slumbering body. Pulling at the chain reveals a pink, shining _tamagotchi _toy with a computerized sketch of a kitty asking to be fed. Lucas can't help but chuckle at the discovery. It's so typical that Brooke Davis would have gotten caught up in the virtual pet craze, and he can only imagine the look on Haley's face when he tells her that she and Brooke have something _in common_. He looks up at his surroundings again, but this time he takes care to note all the little nuances that made the room so undoubtedly _Brooke_. Blue Ravens cheerleader flags were hung on every wall, surrounded by posters of celebrities and male models that he'd seen in the recent media. He smirks at the _Jack Sparrow _poster looming over all the rest on a random side of the wall adjacent to her bed. One detail immediately clear to him is that unlike his girlfriend-who posts her artwork in neat rows along the wall directly opposite her bed-Brooke's arrangement doesn't seem to have any order. It was random, yet it worked. Magazines and purses are strewn around the room, while her signature set of pompoms were hung neatly in the corner, away and protected from anything that could harm them. He glances over to the tv again and laughs when he notices that not only does bubbly girl Brooke Davis own a PlayStation set, but that along with the predictable _The Sims _cover peeking out from the cabinet, she also seems to play the likes of the latest_ Legend of Zelda _games_._

He turns to her dresser, and his eyes scan the assortment of perfumes, moisturizers, sparkles, and make up before finally resting on the large mirror that stands tall, regal, and covered with pictures. His eyes immediately land on a snapshot of him, his girlfriend, and Brooke laughing into the camera on one of the crazy situations she's forced them into, and he smiles at the memory. His eyes soften as he looks down at her, his arm slowly reaches out and gently pushes a strand of hair from her face. He can't tell if it's the pictures that reminded him of all the good times they've had together of it's how peaceful she looks in her sleep, but Lucas can feel any semblance of jealousy or bitterness seep out of him when he realizes that somehow, she'd become a bigger part of his life than he'd ever intended her to be.

"You ready to go?" His girlfriend's voice pulls him away from his thoughts and he turns to her with a serene smile still etched on his lips. She's holding a glass of water and two aspirin pills which she leaves on the bedside table before sighing and looking down at her friend. "I want to stay with her, but my dad's only here for a week, you know?"

Lucas nods in understanding. "It's okay. I'm sure her parents will take care of her in the morning." Peyton glances at him but bites down the urge to say anything.

"Lets get outta here."

As he starts to follow her out, his eyes immediately fall on the empty wall of the hallway. The white wall is completely dull, holding no personality and so unlike the vibrancy of Brooke's room. He moves to shut the door but not before looking back and scanning the brunette's sleeping figure to make sure she is safe and comfortable.

As he walks down the hallway, and descends the stairs, it's not the glamorous furniture or spacious rooms that capture his attention. This time, he takes special note of the lack of any evidence of memory, any signs of _life_.

"Hey Peyton," He starts slowly, confusion clear in his tone. He turns to her, eyes squinting with inquiry.

"Where are all the pictures?"

_-tbc-_

* * *

**A/N**: After re-reading this for the last time I realized that Lucas seemed a bit _Marxist _in the chapter. lol! Not my intention at all, I was writing based on his jealousy towards Nathan in early season 1. **Review!**


	15. Skin Deep

**A/N:** So, i'm turning this into a Leyton.

PSYC.

**Disclaimer** - If I owned OTH, **[insert every BL lover's disclaimer here]**.

**Skin Deep**

**Summary: **Lucas worries about Brooke.

* * *

The focused and constant glare of the noon sun pulls Brooke out of her drunken slumber. Groaning at the pulsing in her head, she pulls the covers over her face to try and hold on to the haze that was quickly slipping away with each passing second. She stays hidden under the covers for mere moments before flinging them off with a huff. She'd woken up in the middle of the night to expel her insides before dragging herself back to the bed, and the smell of vomit still lingered in her breath.

Surrendering to her fate of wakefulness, she looks to her side and sees a glass of water and two aspirins lying on her night stand. She immediately feels guilty, knowing that she must have somehow dragged Peyton away from the short time she had with her dad to come take care of her again. She reaches for her phone, about to call the blonde, before deciding against it. She didn't want to intrude on Peyton's time with her family anymore than she has.

The last thought echoes in her head. Regret is slowly replaced by the sinking feeling she felt the night before; that same hollowness that drove her to her favourite bar and then to wherever else she ended up that night.

She blinks up at her ceiling, lost in her own thoughts, ignoring the residual pounding in her head. The silence seems to weigh heavily on her chest.

Reaching for the phone, she presses the number 5 on her speed dial.

"Theresa, I'm throwing a party tonight."

* * *

"So the house was just empty?"

"No. It had a lot of furniture and stuff, but it just..._felt_ empty."

Lucas and Haley lay on the former's bed, heads on opposite ends. They had plans to go bowling tonight, but those plans were shot to hell when Lucas got grounded for a week after coming home at 2 a.m. on a school night.

"Glamorous on the outside, empty on the inside. That's Brooke Davis, alright."

Lucas reaches out and slaps her knee. "I told you, she's not like that."

"And I told you, I'll believe that when I see it."

He stays silent for a moment. "I think she's lonely."

She starts to laugh, but then stops short when she realizes he's being serious. She pushes herself up to look at him. "Lucas..."

"Hmm?"

"I know you. You're a good guy and you like to help people. But...Brooke Davis is different, alright?"

"You didn't see her then, Haley. She seemed so sad last night, and I didn't get it until I took her home."

"Lucas she's _Brooke Davis_. How can you think she's lonely?"

"I don't know...it was just something in her voice..." he catches his best friend's eye, and notes the dry _give-me-a-break_ look. "And, I mean...where are all the pictures of her and her family?"

Haley rolls her eyes. "I don't know, some people just don't like family portraits."

"What family wouldn't want to hold on to memories?"

"Just because they're not on display doesn't mean they don't _exist_, Lucas."

He looks away and doesn't respond. He can't shake the feeling that there is something wrong with Brooke, and he hadn't been able to stop thinking about her all day.

"What's this really about?"

He frowns and looks up at her in question.

"Is this about Peyton?"

He rolls his eyes. "No."

"Because you were telling me that you felt she wasn't letting you in anymore an-"

"I told you I didn't mean that, alright?" he snaps at her, and Haley backs off. Lucas would never allow her to criticise his relationship with Peyton. But he was the one who told her he felt that they'd become more distant lately. It was something that happened at the river court, but he'd never elaborated. As soon as she tried to pry, he'd retracted and wrote it off as an off day.

"Luke...Brooke's not like Peyton."

He almost laughs. "I know that, Haley."

She pauses, biting her lower lip, before she adds, "Not everyone needs to be saved."

* * *

He drums his fingers nervously on the steering wheel as he zooms passed the street of gorgeous mansions that stretched across her neighbourhood. He'd been worried about her all day, especially when she hadn't come to school. Peyton told him she was just staying in to nurse her hangover, but his instincts told him that something was wrong. Although he is grounded, Karen had sent him to get some milk from the grocery store when she realized they wouldn't have enough for tomorrow morning coffee rush, and he couldn't help but take the chance to check on the brunette, if only to put his mind at ease.

As he nears the intersection he notices a long line of cars parked on the side of the road. Loud music pulses in the distance, alerting him to the presence of a party. He makes a turn on her street and the music becomes louder, beating from inside a fully lit house that was packed with people. He immediately recognizes it as Brooke's house, and a sinking feeling settles as he slows to a stop across the street.

The volume of the music becomes deafening as soon as the front door opens. He wonders how the neighbours haven't filed some sort of complaint. He pushes himself through the clouded hallway for a sign of Brooke, still wanting to check on her even though his gut told him he was overreacting. He finds her in the living room, flirting with one of the guys he recognizes from the football team. She's as bubbly and energetic as ever, giggling up a storm and flashing her dimpled smile at full force.

She's completely fine.

Lucas frowns, not understanding why he is so disappointed. He turns to leave, but the sound of Brooke calling his voice forces him to turn around.

"Broody!" She says happily, practically skipping over to him. "What a sur-surprise!" She giggles and loses her balance, forcing Lucas to catch her. He wonders if she realizes they were in this same position just the previous night.

"Woops!" giggling again, she straightens up and looks at him, eyes bright and full of excitement. "I thought you hated parties?"

"I wasn't aware you were having one tonight."

Her eyes grow wide and she manages to look horrified. "What? You didn't get an invite? That's impossible-you're part of the cool group now!"

"I actually just came to check on you, but...I guess you're doing alright."

She frowns, and seems to sober up. Tilting her head to the side, she frowns up at him in confusion. "Why would you want to check on me?"

"I-" He stops himself, looking around at the familiar faces that packed the house, all from among the "cool group" that Brooke had mentioned. He's suddenly very conscious of how ridiculous he'd been; thinking there was something wrong, something he could save her from. That _Brooke Davis_ was_ lonely_. Haley was right, maybe he's just trying to read into something that isn't there?

He turns back to her and sees the questioning in her eyes. "I just wanted to make sure you weren't dying of a massive hangover from last night."

Her eyes grow wide. "You-you knew about that?"

He smiles kindly, shoving his hands in his pocket. "Yeah. I found you at the beach."

Her mouth hangs open."Oh...Peyton didn't tell me that."

He shrugs. "She helped me get you settled in."

She looks away, and he gets the feeling that she's somehow embarrassed.

"So, how'd you get your parents to let you throw this thing, anyway?"

"Oh...they're out of town." At his inquisitive squint, she adds, "On a business trip. I'm taking advantage of my freedom as you can see." she curtsies and throws him a wink.

He chuckles softly. "Alright, I'll leave you to it. I'm glad you're doing okay," he says genuinely before walking away.

"Hey Broody?" He turns back. "...thanks."

He smiles. "Don't mention it."

When he gets back in his truck, he sits for a moment, trying to shake the disappointed feeling that crept up when he realized he'd overanalyzed the situation. Really, he doesn't know what he expected. Did he expect to find something deeper? Something that would define the girl he'd reluctantly come to care about as someone other than the party-hard cheerleader?

He looks down and sighs, before glancing back at the house with a small smile of acceptance.

Some people just didn't need to be saved.

tbc.

* * *

i know you all expected more to happen. That he'd suddenly realized Brooke had more hidden under the surface and pay more attention to her but...psychology doesn't work like that. I'll have another chapter up in a couple of days, because i've already written it...believe that or not. :)


	16. Grasping at Straws

**A/N:** Shit...Lucas is coming back to OTH! AND Brooke's dad is finally here! SHIT! i'm gonna be sucked into this show AGAIN! :'(

**Disclaimer** - If I owned OTH, **[insert every BL lover's disclaimer here]**.

**Title: **Grasping at Straws

**Summary**: We're all desperate to connect to someone.

* * *

Lucas sits on the bench, enjoying the cool afternoon breeze as he reads his favourite novel, _The Great Gatsby._

"Always with your head in a book, aren't you Broody?"

He looks up and smiles at her, pecking Peyton on the lips as she takes her usual seat next to him.

Brooke sits across from them and flashes her signature smile. "So, now that our daily prison cell is over, what do you two plan on doing today?"

"I was just going to finish up this sketch I've been working on."

"And I'm actually enjoying this book I'm reading." He says, sending her a serene smile.

"Oh..." she blinks at them, and she looks off to the side, awkwardly. "Then I guess I'll just...sit here too." The two blonds smile at her before returning to their respective activities.

Brooke watches as they get lost in their own hobbies, trying to understand the relationship she secretly envies. After a moment of silence that seems to stretch on for a life time, she decides to point out how dreadfully _boring_ they are together.

"So this is what you guys do, huh?"

The blonds look up at her, each wearing similar facial expressions; a point which causes Brooke to burst into laughter, shaking her head.

"_Wow_." No matter how sweet and safe she thinks their relationship is, _nothing_ should be this boring.

Peyton rolls her eyes but resumes sketching. Lucas glances up at her and smiles softly, shaking his head as he focuses back on his book. He knows its not in her vivacious and callow nature to appreciate silence; she just couldn't understand the beauty in two individuals able to connect beyond the need for words. He couldn't imagine anything greater than the feeling of sitting in quiet tranquility, totally engrossed in your passion as your loved one is doing the same next to you.

Brooke takes out her cell phone and starts texting, giggling at whatever comes up on the tiny screen. She feels a cool breeze brush against her, and she closes her eyes at the soothing feeling. Lucas and Peyton remain completely engrossed in their own worlds; quiet, tranquill, oblivious.

"Whatcha reading?" Her raspy voice cuts through the familiar silence.

He looks up at her before answering. "The Great Gatsby."

She cocks her head to the side. "Why does that sound familiar?"

He glances at his girlfriend, who doesn't seem to be paying attention to the conversation.

"I told you about it during that night we took care of Peyton."

Brooke nods. "Oh, that Fitzgeorge guy? The one where he hates on rich people?"

He raises his eyebrows, surprised that she remembers. "It's Fitz_gerald_ and," he squints in contemplation. "..._sort_ _of_."

Brooke nods and turns to her best friend. "You read it, Peyt?"

"For English class." She doesn't look up from her drawing. Brooke never understood how important drawing was for her. When she started, she put her entire heart and soul into completing the piece, and she didn't like to stop until she was finished.

"You like it?"

Apparently, her boyfriend has yet to pick up on that fact, too.

She sighs and shuts her sketchpad. Shrugging her shoulders, she takes the book from his hands and flips through the barely familiar pages.

"It was a good read. I just did it for class, you know?"

Lucas nods, taking back the book.

"It's your favourite book, isn't it, Broody?"

He looks up at her and then at his girlfriend, who's eyebrows are raised with interest.

"Is it?"

He smiles softly. "Yeah. I just love how much depth there is to it, you know? I mean he's woven so many layers into the writing that you always find something you hadn't picked up on no matter how many times you read it."

Peyton smiles at him. "That Daisy character's a bitch, though," she says as she re-opens her sketchbook.

"I think there's a little more to her than that."

Peyton shrugs and continues to sketch, clearly finished with the conversation.

Lucas looks up at their third companion to find her gazing at him with a thoughtful expression.

"How many times have you read that thing, anyway?"

Lucas smiles. "I've lost count."

She turns to her best friend again. "How come I never read it?"

"You took English with Mr. Jacksons, remember? He did _Lord Of the Flies_."

Brooke scowls. "I hate that book."

Her friend laughs. "You hate all books."

"You have too much of a life to waste on them, right?" He says it as a joke, but the remorseful look on her face makes him realize that it came out with more of an edge than he'd intended.

Peyton looks between the two and gives her friend a questioning look. Brooke shrugs and gets up from her seat.

"Well, not that I don't find hanging with you two absolutely _fun_tastic, but I'm gonna head off."

She blows a kiss to her friend and sends a small smile to Lucas before bouncing away.

As soon as she's gone, Lucas tries to go back to reading his book, but finds himself growing restless. He still enjoys the novel—it's a work of art—but he could do it at home.

Closing the cover and turning to his girlfriend, he tries to start conversation.

"So, how was your day?"

She spares him a glance. "Good."

Lucas frowns, feeling somehow jilted by her one word response. He tries again. "Do you always skip school the day after Brooke drinks too much?"

She glances up at him from the corner of her eye before sighing. "Look, dude, if you think she's a bitch at school when she's sober and alert, how much worse do you think she'd be with a hangover?"

Lucas chuckles. "Point taken."

Peyton nods before returning to her sketch.

"So...what else is new?"

She doesn't answer right away. "Jake says that Jenny said her first word today."

Lucas smiles brightly. "Really? What was it?"

"Look, Luke, no offense, but I just want to draw right now, okay?"

He nods dejectedly, trying not to be bothered by her moodiness, and goes back to his reading.

Hidden from his view, Peyton shades in the background of the scene she'd sketched from memory: A baby sleeping in the crib, with her curly-haired father looking down at her with a look of pure joy.

A bubble is drawn from the child's mouth, extending above the scene in large, bolded letters that spell out,

_Pey'an!_

_Xx tbc  
_


	17. Ulysses

**Disclaimer** - If I owned OTH, **[insert every BL lover's disclaimer here]**. Title is by Franz Ferdinand. I own the characters I make up.

**Title: **Ulysses

**Summary**: Drunk and desperate, he uses one to make the other jealous.

* * *

The beat of the latest hit booms within the packed club. Sweating bodies grind against each other, moaning and grasping in the darkness pierced by flickers of light; all with the intention of achieving a high strong enough to render all thoughts and inhibitions mute.

He's kissing her forcefully. He came on so suddenly and unexpectedly that she didn't even have time to take a breath. She can taste the hard liquor that clings to his tongue and mingles with the sting of her own. The kiss knocks her off her feet, something she hasn't experienced in a long time. And even with his forcefulness and her lack of breath, she reciprocates with as much vigour. Her heart beats faster, her palms sweat, and her entire body hums with excitement. She pulls him towards her and clutches onto his shoulders, and that's when she feels him pull away. Still dazed, she looks at him in confusion only to catch him look off to the side to glance a certain dirty blonde on the other side of the room.

Unfazed, she swerves when he tries to kiss her again. "You trying to make her jealous?"

His eyes open wide with guilt before he notes her kinked eyebrows and smirk. He then remembers that this is _Brooke Davis_ he's talking to.

"You willing to help?" He asks with a smirk of his own.

Brooke pretends to think about it, before a sly smile creeps on her mouth. "Baby, when I'm done with you she'll come crawling back on all fours."

Laughing, he lets her pull him down for a kiss.

* * *

"I'm telling you, P. Sawyer, the guy was _amazing!" _

The next morning, Brooke and Peyton walk across the courtyard together, the former recounting her latest escapade, much to the annoyance of her friend.

"That's great, Brooke," The blond answers distractedly.

Brooke is unfazed by her attitude. She bites her lower lips and sighs. "God, I would not mind having a go at that again. Did I mention how _amazing_ he was?"

"Only about a billion times."

"Shut up. You're just jealous because your sex with Lucas is boring."

Peyton glares at her before smacking her painfully on the shoulder.

"Ow."

"First of all, it's not. And second of all, my sex life is none of your business."

Brooke snorts. "Since when?"

Peyton rolls her eyes.

* * *

She's at the club again. She scans the crowd looking for a worthy conquest for the night. Spotting a gorgeous spiked blonde at the other end of the bar, she douses her drink before she gets up and makes her way towards him. Before she can take three steps, however, a firm hand grabs her forearm.

She swerves, viciously pulling her arms away from the intruder. "What the fuck do you think you're doing?" she asks harshly.

The guy raises his hands up in surrender and looks away. Brooke recognizes him from the other night, and she immediately switches from bitchy to seductive.

"Well hello there, gorgeous."

"I-I-" He gulps, glancing at his feet before looking back up at her again. "I was hoping to find you here again."

Her eyebrows shoot up. "Don't you have a girlfriend, or something?"

He noticeably deflates. Brooke frowns. _Is he going to cry?_

"She's-she's still not interested." His voice is strong but he refuses to look at her; he just stands there, waiting for Brooke to catch on to what he can't ask for outloud.

She raises an eyebrow in intrigue. "What's your name?"

He meets her eyes. "Brian."

She walks seductively towards him. "Well, Brian, I normally don't do seconds, but..." she looks up at him and can see the lost look on his face. She would feel sorry for him if she didn't know his emotions would intensify their time together. "For you? I can make an exception."

He slams his lips against hers, almost knocking her backwards. Brooke frowns, not liking being roughed up..._this_ early in the night. But she sighs, and gives into him.

She more than anyone can understand the need for a distraction.


End file.
